Something Right
by TheEvilQueen99
Summary: Regina Mills: the mayor of sleepy, small town Storybrooke. With a successful career at 28, she's set for life. Emma Swan: a 23 year old who has struggled her whole life despite hard work. Wanting someplace to make a home with her young son Henry, Storybrooke seems perfect. When their very separate lives meet, no one knows what to expect, especially not Emma and Regina. SwanQueen AU
1. Chapter 1

Something Right: Chapter 1

Regina's P.O.V

"No Tiffany! Tell Mr. Gold I do not want to see him right now and that his business with me can wait!" I say exasperatedly into the intercom.

"Yes Mayor Mills." Tiffany says in a timid voice.

"Thank you." I sigh out and release the button. My head falls into my hands and I give a loud groan. I pick my head out of my hands when I hear the door open.

"Please don't Tiffany. I'm taking my lunch break. Hold my calls and do not put any paperwork on my desk until I get back. Understood?" I look up from my reflection in the glass covering my desk. "Oh sorry Robin. I thought you were Tiffany."

"That much was evident love. Tough day?" He asks as he leans against the door frame. I give him a pained smile before motioning for him to come inside. He does so and closes the door behind him before walking closer to my desk. I nod and shrug.

"Lately I keep wondering why I ever wanted to be mayor." I confess and he gives a small sigh.

"Do you need me to remind you?" He gives me a bit of a cheeky smile and sits down in a chair across from me. I give him a smile.

"Go for it."

"Well, for starters, you wanted more power than Mr. Gold." I nod, not being able to deny that. "You also wanted a bigger house and this fabulous office."

"I don't even know why I needed to be so selfish. It's not like I share it with anyone." I frown before throwing on a mask. Robin may be my boyfriend but I don't need him to see me so weak. We've been together for about two years now but I it's like my mother always said: _love is weakness_.

"Well I'd be happy to move in." Robin suggests. I grimace slightly.

"Robin, I'm-"

"Just not ready to take it to the next step. I know Regina." Robin sighs quite audibly but I keep my face neutral.

"I'm sorry Robin. I really am. But it's definitely time for me to go to lunch." I push my chair back and grab my coat, pulling it on.

"Would you like me to take you out? My treat?" Robin offers but I shake my head as I round my desk, my heels clicking on the marble floor. I give him a quick kiss on the mouth and my hand reaches up to gently rub away the lipstick that stuck to his lips.

"Maybe another time. Right now, I just want to be alone." I wait for Robin to leave and he does so without a word. I feel slightly guilty for ditching him but I don't want his sympathy for my sad, lonely life.

I leave my office, closing and locking the door behind me. Luckily there is no one waiting to speak with me and Tiffany is merely reading a book. When the door closes with a click her heard pops up and she looks at me with doe eyes.

"I'm sorry Madame Mayor. It's just that my work is done as of right now and-" I cut her off with a wave of my hand.

"Do save your excuses dear. I don't care right now." My voice is void of emotion and she nods quickly. "I'm going to lunch so hold my calls and do not place any paperwork or notes on my desk until I am back. Understood?" She nods quickly and I run a manicured hand through my short black hair.

"Thank you dear. I'll be back within an hour. Do not test my patience or I might just fire you. I'm in that kind of mood."

"Yes Mayor Mills." She says and I nod once more before making my way out of the town hall. The crisp fall air feels beautiful on my skin and I take a deep breath in. I decide to walk to Granny's Diner and pull out some black leather gloves to cover my already cold hands. My heels click along the pavement as I observe the town I call mine as I walk to the very popular eating place for lunch. Everyone does as they always do in this sleepy town that I grew up in.

The sound of a rattling engine startles me and I look behind myself at the road. I spot a yellow bug rambling down the road and I stop where I am as I watch it pass me. It pulls into a spot in front of Granny's and I continue walking to the diner in order to see who could be in that annoying vehicle. Once I get a little bit closer I see a young blonde woman get out of the car and go into the back seat. I watch her curiously, not recognizing her at all. When she pulls a young, brown haired child out of the backseat I stop momentarily and then keep walking. I want to know who this woman is and where she came from.

I enter the warm diner and pull of my coat, searching the packed restaurant for a place to sit. Everyone spots me and gives me a small smile before continuing on with their conversation. The blonde woman sits in a booth beside the child and I walk over to them. She looks up at me with surprised green eyes and an open mouth.

"Hi." I say with a smile and she gives me a small one back.

"Hello. Is there something I can do for you?" She asks with a guarded voice.

"I was just wondering if I could sit with you? This place is packed to the brim." I tell her, gesturing towards the other tables. I see her take a quick look around and then she nods.

"Yeah sure."

"Thank you." I tell her sincerely before dropping my coat and purse on the inside of the booth seat before sitting down. I clasp my hands together and look from the woman to the young boy who's staring at me with wide green eyes. I give him a smile.

"What's your name?" I ask very friendly, not wanting to scare him.

"I'm Henry." He says matter-of-factly and I give a small laugh.

"That's a lovely name dear." I tell him and he smiles.

"And you are?" I ask the woman who watched our exchange and she looks up at me.

"Emma. Emma Swan."

"Well it's very nice to meet you Miss Swan. I'm Regina Mills." I extend my hand towards her and she grabs it timidly, her grip strong.

"Nice to meet you too. Do you live here?" She asks as I wave to Ruby, the waitress.

"Yes actually. I was born here like mostly everyone who lives in this town. People typically don't move here."

"I see. Well then I guess it's weird I'm considering moving here?" Emma says with a smile.

"Just a little bit pretty thing." Ruby says with a wink. Emma gives a deep blush and I give Ruby a light smack on the arm.

"Hey there. I'm Ruby and I'll be serving you today. What can I get you to drink?" Ruby says, popping her tray on her hip and giving Emma a smile.

"I'll take a water please." I tell her before looking at Emma.

"Two hot chocolates with whipped cream and cinnamon please." Emma smiles at Ruby.

"Coming right up." Ruby walks off, leaving Emma and I alone so we can talk.

"So you said you do want to move here to Storybrooke?" I ask her and Emma looks away from Henry to meet my eyes.

"Yeah, actually. I really want to get away from the city and give Henry a close and friendly environment to grow up in." She tells me and ruffles Henry's hair.

"Momma." Henry whines and she just laughs.

"Momma? So he is yours?" I ask and Emma gives a sheepish grin.

"Yeah."

"Who's his father?"

"I haven't seen his father since I realized I was pregnant and I'll probably never see him again."

"Oh. I'm sorry." I tell her and grab her hand. A nice warmth spreads through my body and I pull away. She waves my apology away.

"Don't sweat it. I mean it's almost been six years."

"So he's...?"

"Henry. Tell Regina how old are you?" Emma asks her son with a smile.

"I five!" Henry says excitedly.

" _I'm_ five." Emma stresses the "m" and I laugh.

"Noooo. I five!" Henry giggles while pointing to himself and Emma just sighs.

"Yes you are munchkin. Yes you are." She gives in and I laugh.

"Here you go guys. Have you decided what you want to eat?" Ruby sets down our drinks. "And be careful buddy! The cocoa is hot."

"I'd love a chicken sandwich please Miss Lucas."

"I'll take a burger with fries please. Henry, tell Ruby what you want to eat."

"I want a grilled cheese!" Henry says happily and claps his hands together.

"And what do we say when we ask for something?" Emma prods.

"Please!" Henry says with an award winning smile.

"Anything for you bud. I'll be back in a few." Ruby smiles.

"So anyways, you said you've been living here since you were born?"

"Yes I have. I went to college out of town but I came back. I guess I missed the simplicity of Storybrooke."

"I see. That's what I want for Henry for sure."

"Well you'll definitely find that here. I've tried my hardest to make Storybrooke a perfect town."

"What do you mean _you_ have?" Emma asks, scrunching her eyebrows together. I can't help the butterflies that flutter in my stomach but I ignore them.

"Well I'm the mayor." I tell her and she gives me a shocked look. "You look surprised."

"You're just so young. I never expected you to be mayor. Though you do work the pantsuits." Emma compliments and I give a polite laugh.

"Thank you dear. On other notes, have you found a home you like?" I ask her and she gives a small frown.

"Not yet unfortunately. We were actually going to look around today. Right Henry?"

"Yeah. We gonna look for houses!"

"That's a fabulous idea. If you need any help just call me at my cell okay? Here's my number." I pull a notebook out of my purse and a pen and write down my number for her. I slip it across the table and she grabs it with a smile and puts in her jacket pocket.

"Thanks, you've been a real help so far." Emma gives her a nice smile as Ruby comes over and sets our food down.

"I'm sorry to cause you some hassle Miss Lucas but can you put this in a to go container? I have to get back to the office." I ask her with an apologetic smile.

"Sure thing Mayor Mills!" Ruby picks it up and takes it into the back while I put on my coat and grab some money out of my purse. I pass it to Ruby in exchange for my food and then slip on my gloves.

"It was lovely meeting you Miss Swan. Maybe I'll see you around sometime." I give her a cool smile and she nods appreciatively.

"Thanks Mayor Mills. Henry, say bye."

"Bye bye!" Henry waves a pudgy hand at me and I wave back to him before exiting the diner and walking back to the office. I step into the town hall and walk upstairs to my office where Tiffany is sitting at her desk, eating a sandwich.

"Mayor Mills, did you have a good lunch?" She asks me as she sets down her lunch and follows me inside and over towards my desk.

"Well I haven't actually eaten dear but I did meet a very interesting woman." I tell her, surprising myself. I don't open up to people easily. Even though Tiffany is my personal assistant I've never talked about personal stuff with her.

"Do you mind me asking what you mean?" She asks timidly. She stands on the other side of my desk as I take a seat and pull out my lunch.

"Well this young single mom is considering moving to Storybrooke."

"Really? People never move here." Tiffany comments.

"That's exactly what I thought too. But anyways, can you go grab me all of this afternoon's paperwork? I'd like to come to work tomorrow with a clean slate."

"Yes Mayor Mills. I'll be right back." Tiffany tells me and walks out of the office. She comes back in with a three inch tall stack of paper and I almost let out an audible groan.

"Thank you dear. Please don't interrupt me for the rest of the day unless it's very important."

"Okay Mayor Mills. What about appointments?" Tiffany stops at the door and turns back to look at me.

"I don't believe I have any."

"Okay." Tiffany leaves the room and closes the door behind her. I pull out a pen and I start to work on the massive stack with renewed vigor I didn't have this morning.

I sign the last piece of paper and relax back in my chair with a satisfied sigh. I throw my pen down on my desk and smile triumphantly. When I take a look at the clock on the wall my eyebrows raise to see it's already 7:00 at night.

"I've been working for over six hours straight?" I mumble to myself and clean up everything laying out. I grab all my belongings and leave the office, locking it behind me. When I turn around I see a note on Marcy's desk but no Marcy.

 _Mayor Mills,_

 _I told you I was leaving for the day but I'm pretty sure you were on auto pilot when it comes to things such as speaking and listening as you said "Okay dear" and waved me off. I'm leaving now and it is five o'clock (the end of my work day) so please don't get mad. Don't work yourself to death and have a good rest of your night._

 _Tiffany_

I give a small laugh at the last sentence and tuck the note in my purse before continuing out into the night. I walk over to my black BMW and unlock the door before getting in and driving home. Once inside the door of my house, I drop my purse beside the closet and hang up my coat. I nudge off my heels and carry them upstairs to my bedroom where I then get changed into a silk pajama set and go back downstairs. I pour myself a glass of wine and go into my living to turn on the T.V. I mindlessly flip through the channels before finally deciding to watch some random reality T.V. show. All the while, all I can think of is Miss Emma Swan, with her long blonde hair pulled back into a casual ponytail and her bright green eyes staring lovingly at her son. Her son. She's so young.

Then I hope I can see her again soon before I go to bed and dream of something other than my constant routine.

* * *

 **Apparently fanfiction. net doesn't like me that much because this is my third time trying to post this chapter! Well, here it is, I really hope you like it!**

 **I also posted this on Wattpad (my user is /moorebear12)**


	2. Chapter 2

Regina's P.O.V

 _I mindlessly flip through the channels before finally deciding to watch some random reality tv show. All the while, all I can think of is Miss Emma Swan, with her long blonde hair pulled back into a casual ponytail and her bright green eyes staring lovingly at her son. Her son. She's so young._

 _Then I hope I can see her again soon before I go to bed and dream of something other than my constant routine._

As the weeks pass by, I see Emma walk past the town hall to the elementary school every week day and to the diner every weekend morning. She showed up at my office door about a week after coming to town.

 **Flashback to 4 weeks ago...**

A knock comes at the door and I look up, setting my pen down.

"Come in." I call out, pushing the papers away momentarily. Tiffany pops her head in and I motion for her to step inside.

"Emma Swan is here to see you but she said she doesn't have an appointment. Should I send her away?" Tiffany asks me. I smile at the mention of the shy blonde woman and shake my head at Tiffany's question.

"No it's quite alright dear. Send her in." I tell her and she nods before leaving. Emma comes in slowly. She gazes around the large black and white decorated room before her eyes land on me.

"Hey Mayor Mills. How ya doin'?" Emma asks, her slang making me smile a bit.

"Well. And yourself?" I ask her and stand up from my desk. I walk around to the front of it and sit on the edge, my skirt sliding up my thighs a bit.

"I've been good." Emma says, clearing her throat as I watch her eyes slide to and then away from my legs. A short silence falls before I clear my throat.

"You can come sit down if you wish. Do you want anything to drink?" I tell her and gesture to the couches and to the chairs in front of my desk. She goes over and sits down on the couch as she answers me.

"No thanks. I just needed someone to talk too." Emma admits and blushes. I smile at her back and join her on the couch after grabbing my water from my desk.

"What about?"

"Oh just everything over the past week I guess." Emma shrugs and I nod for her to continue. "Well first of all, I found an apartment for Henry and I. It's in the same building as Henry's teacher, Mary Margaret."

"Ah yes, Miss Blanchard. Do you like the apartment or do you want me to find something better for you?" I offer and then wonder what the hell I'm doing.

"No no don't worry yourself. I really like it and so does Henry. We couldn't get a place until it got the Henry Stamp of Approval." Emma chuckled and I gave a small laugh.

"How's he adjusting?"

"Very well actually! He loves Mary Margaret and the kids at school so I'm really happy it's working out for him. I really like this town and I'm glad he loves it." Emma tells me and I smile warmly at the indirect compliment.

"Well I'm glad you like it. But as much as I enjoy your company, why are you here today?" I ask, getting straight to the point. I like the blonde but being mayor I still have plenty of paperwork to do.

"I need your help." Emma confesses.

"With?"

"A job. There really aren't any job offers around and the ones that are around, I'm not really fond of." Emma chuckles and I nod my head knowingly.

"Well Miss Swan, I believe we have an open spot in our police station as deputy. Do you have any experience with that area of expertise?"

"Actually yes! I always wanted to be a police officer when I was in high school but then after Henry I couldn't really go to the academy." Emma gives a sad look and I nod for her to continue. "So technically I never worked in the force but I did work as a secretary and call response person when we still lived in Boston."

"Well we have a very low crime rate here in Storybrooke so I'll have our sheriff Graham help you learn all the tricks of the trade." I tell her and she shakes her head slightly.

"Wait what? You're just giving me the job?" Emma says in disbelief.

"Well how else can you support Henry and yourself?" I ask her as I stand up. I walk a few steps towards my desk and turn around to look at her. She's still staring at me in shock and she gets up slowly.

"Are you okay Miss Swan? You look ill." I ask in concern and she shakes her head.

"No I just... Thank you so much Mayor Mills!" Emma says and unexpectedly hugs me. I stiffen in shock, not hugging her back. The unexpected show of affection surprises me and she lets go quickly. She blushes bright red and backs away a few steps. I can tell she doesn't usually do that. I put my hands together and purse my lips as I look away.

"It's really no problem dear. We have room in the budget and you need money for your adorable son." I tell her and she smiles.

"You may not think so but this really means a lot Miss Mills. Thank you." Emma says.

"You know what Miss Swan, call me Regina. Mayor Mills and Miss Mills just sounds much too formal."

"Then call me Emma." She says and I consider it.

"Alright then, Emma, you'll start tomorrow. Please go to the station at 9:00 am. I'll meet you there and help you get acquainted with the job and Graham." I tell her and she nods quickly. Thank you so much Miss- Regina. I'll see you tomorrow." Emma tells me and I give her a big smile.

"I'll see you tomorrow Emma." I tell her and she leaves the office. I go and sit down at my desk again and continue reading through paperwork.

 **End of flashback**

I rest easy with the fact that I got her a well paying job to help her with Henry. She even brought him to see me last week and I feel a great sadness I can't have kids. Henry's adorable and I think he's warming up to me.

* * *

I leave work that day feeling completely drained. I stop and sit down on a bench, taking a few deep breaths of the cold, clear air. I close my eyes and relax my stiff posture.

"Regina?" I hear and open my eyes in confusion. Ever since I became mayor no one calls me by my first name anymore. The first thing I see is a wave of blonde hair and then a body presses up beside mine on the bench.

"Are you okay?" Emma asks me and I look back up at her. Green eyes look at me with concern and I sit up a bit.

"Uh y-" I clear my throat. "Yes I'm fine dear."

"We were just headed to the diner for supper. You wanna join us?" Emma asks and I feel a tug at my hand. I look down into identical green eyes and a mop of chestnut coloured hair. Henry nods his head enthusiastically and I look back up at Emma. She offers me a comforting smile.

"I should probably head home." I start to make excuses and Emma looks at me like she knows I'm lying. But how could she know?

"Or you could join us. What do you have at home that's better than this kid?" Emma gestures to Henry and he smiles up at me. I smile back at him before looking at Emma.

"I guess nothing." I tell her and she offers her hand to me. I take it hesitantly and she pulls me up before letting go. Henry's quickly grabs Emma's hand I was just holding and then turns to me. He grabs my hand too and my eyes widen in surprise. He offers me a smile before happily announcing that he's hungry. Emma and I laugh, our eyes meeting. She offers me a happy smile and I return it easily. The sun is setting on the horizon as we walk towards the diner, the pink light making Emma glow.

"How is the life of being mayor?" Emma asks as we get closer to the diner and I look over to her.

"Busy. Tiring. Different than I expected when I first started." I tell her. I just feel like I can tell her how I honestly feel.

"Do you regret becoming mayor?" Emma asks and I don't even hesitate.

"No." I kind of surprise myself with my quick answer. But I don't regret becoming mayor at all. "But I didn't expect so much paper. I feel like I'm drowning in it."

"I would be a terrible mayor. I would have no idea what to do." I give a laugh at her.

"I didn't know either. But I have a great assistant, Tiffany. And my mother walked me through it. It was all she wanted for me even when I was a child. She was telling me what to change and what to do ever since I was about seven years old."

"Oh wow. That's really young. That's crazy. Your mom sounds crazy. Was she mayor?"

"Yes actually. But then someone else beat her out the next election and she just never got over it." I tell her and she nods her head.

"So what does she do now then?" Emma asks the question I knew was coming.

"She's dead. Her and my father. They got in a car accident about three years ago. It was right before I became my mom's dream so I'm disappointed she never got to see it."

"Oh I'm so sorry." Emma tells me and I feel like she means it.

"I grieved but I'm okay now. I miss them both but my mother was always so overbearing it's nice to feel a bit more free. Although she did set me up with my boyfriend Robin so sometimes I see her in him and it's like she never left."

"Your boyfriend? I mean I'm not surprised you have one but I don't know if I've ever seen him around." Emma muses out loud and catches me looking at her all babbling. She blushes and looks away and I try not to laugh at her all flustered.

"He's our park ranger. The forest is one of the big tourist attractions and he loves being outside. So he lives right at the edge of the town." I tell her.

"Okay makes sense. The forest really is beautiful. I'm hoping to take Henry out on a little baby hike to see some animals and what not." Emma says and I nod.

"That's a good idea." I tell her. I glance down at Henry when the diner comes into view and his eyes light up.

"Momma! Look!" Henry lets go of Emma's hand to point at the diner and he squeezes mine even tighter. My heart swells when he looks up at me and smiles.

"You hungry Gina?" He asks and I look over at Emma.

"Gina?" I ask her and she shrugs.

"He kept asking about "my pretty friend from the food place" and when I said Regina he said Gina and I just rolled with it. He probably can't say Regina." Emma explains and I just smile. I think it's pretty cute he can't say my name.

"I'm fairly hungry Henry. What about you?" I ask him and he just smiles at me, his dimples on full display.

"I could eat a horse!" He exclaims loudly and I laugh at him.

"A whole horse!? Would you share with me?" I ask him.

"Of course Gina! You my friend!" Henry tells me as if my question was ridiculous. I give him a huge smile as we're about to step into the diner and look up to see Emma watching us with a small smile on her face. Her eyes look up to meet mine and she just nods like I've done well.

* * *

 **thank you to everyone who has added my story to their favourites or alerts :)**


	3. Chapter 3

Regina's P.O.V

 _"I'm fairly hungry Henry. What about you?" I ask him and he just smiles at me, his dimples on full display._

 _"I could eat a horse!" He exclaims loudly and I laugh at him._

 _"A whole horse!? Would you share with me?" I ask him._

 _"Of course Gina! You my friend!" Henry tells me as if my question was ridiculous. I give him a huge smile as we're about to step into the diner and look up to see Emma watching us with a small smile on her face. Her eyes look up to meet mine and she just nods like I've done well._

* * *

Emma's P.O.V

The next day I'm woken up by a small weight landing on my body. I groan loudly and hope to fall back asleep.

"Momma! Wake up!" Henry shouts and I mumble something that's supposed to mean 'go to back to bed' but I'm pretty sure it's not even coherent.

"What? Momma, I'm hungry!" Henry yells in my ear after lifting up the sheet I had pulled up over my head.

"Fine Henry I'm up!" I tell him loudly and he stops his attack of trying to get me out of bed.

"Yay! Food!" Henry shouts like a starved teenager and he pulls on my hand. I throw the sheets off my body and pull on some boxer shorts over my panties and pull on a bra and a hoodie after stripping off my pajama t-shirt.

"Henry go wait in the kitchen and I'll be there in a minute. I have to go to the bathroom." I tell him and he runs into the kitchen to wait. A few minutes later I'm joining him and we eat our toaster waffles before getting ready for the day.

"You ready to go to school kid? We have to leave soon!" I call out and I hear his little feet running through the apartment to me.

"READY!" He screams before coming to a skidding stop in front of me. I straighten his clothes out (the ones he picked out himself and got dressed on his own) and then hand him his dinosaur backpack with his Toy Story lunch box and agenda in it. I make sure I grab my phone and wallet before taking his hand and leading him out the door. I lock it and we walk down the pathway to the sidewalk. We walk past my bug and enjoy the fresh air as I take the kid to school and then turn to go to the sheriff's station.

I walk past town hall and glance up at the mayor's window. I see her brown eyes looking down at me and I stop to look back up at her. I smile and wave and I see her slightly blush and turn away. I just chuckle and shake my head as I keep walking. The mayor is such an interesting woman. So cold and isolated but yet whenever she's around Henry she turns into someone so open and welcoming, so talkative and loving. But as soon as she notices someone looking she closes herself off.

"Morning Graham!" I call out as I throw my stuff into my desk and then go into his office.

"Morning Emma." He says with a warm smile. "How are you today? How's Henry today?"

"We're good! He loves to go to school every day and see his friends and his teacher. How's Ruby doing?" I ask him and he smiles.

"She's great! I'm so happy she finally got pregnant." Graham tells me and I can see the joy in his eyes. On the second day of the job I found out Ruby and Graham were married and just celebrated their second anniversary. They're so cute together.

"Yeah I gave her my congratulations last night at the diner. She's already glowing." I tell him happily.

"Alright today I have to do a little bit of paperwork and then take it to town hall for Mayor Mills. It's going to be a slow day, as usual." Graham tells me. The gears in my head start turning when he says "town hall" and "Mayor Mills".

"Once the paperwork is done I can deliver it to town hall." I offer. Graham looks at me with squinted eyes.

"Why?"

"So that you can take a little break. I mean if you're doing all the paperwork it's only fair I take it to Regina."

"Regina?" Graham asks me, giving me an odd look.

"I mean Mayor Mills. My bad." I say and Graham just looks at me before shrugging.

"You can go for a patrol in the car and then come back. I'll bring lunch from the diner at noon." Graham tells me and tosses me the keys for the cruiser.

"Okay be back in about an hour."

After lunch Graham comes out of his office and lays a file folder on my desk.

"Alright Emma, take this down to town hall, will you?" He asks and I nod, pulling my feet off my desk and brushing my hands on my jeans. I grab the folder and leave the station, walking down Main Street. I pull my jacket tighter around me and pat myself on the back for grabbing my toque and gloves this morning. Once inside town hall I pull of my hat and fix my hair quickly before heading upstairs. Tiffany sees me and smiles.

"Hey Emma! How are you doing?" She asks warmly and tucks a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Good! I got some paper for Re- Mayor Mills. Is she in? I was told to give it straight to her to make sure she gets it." I tell her, coming up with a quick lie in order to actually see the mayor. I don't know what's gotten into me.

"Okay yeah I'll let her know. One second." Tiffany gets up and opens the door. A few seconds later she turns back around and looks at me.

"She said you can go right on in!"

"Okay thanks Tiffany." I tell her and knock before stepping into the office.

"Hey Regina I got some paperwork for you from Graham." I start to tell her and stop when I notice there is someone sitting in a chair in front of her desk.

"Thank you Deputy Swan. I hope Graham did right this time." Regina says to me. _Deputy Swan? What the hell?_

"Regina who's this?" The man asks and I notice he has an accent.

"This is the new deputy, Emma Swan. She moved to town about four weeks ago. Miss Swan, this is my boyfriend, Robin." Regina says to him before looking back at me. "Remember dear, it's Mayor Mills."

"Alrighty then, Mayor Mills." I say and then the office falls into uncomfortable silence.

"The paperwork, Deputy Swan?" Regina snaps and I look at her.

"Right. Sorry." I tell her and walk over to her desk. She looks at me with a bored look on her face and holds out a perfectly manicured hand. I hand it over and she puts it down on her desk. She looks over at Robin and starts to talk to him. I stand there for a moment before she looks back at me.

"You can go now Deputy. Thank you for the paperwork." She says coldly and I feel like I've been slapped in the face.

"Okay. Bye then." I say awkwardly and leave the office. I turn back once to look at her but she's busy talking to her boyfriend. I exit the room and Tiffany looks up at me.

"Are you okay Emma? You look like you're going to throw up." Tiffany asks, sounding alarmed.

"No I'm okay. I just don't know what's gotten into her."

"Her? You mean Mayor Mills?" Tiffany asks and I nod. "What did she do?"

"She was so cold and closed off." I tell her and she looks at me as if I've grown a second head.

"That's how she always is Emma." Tiffany says slowly as if I'm stupid.

"Oh. Well then never mind. But I gotta go back to the station now. Have a good day Tiffany."

"You too Emma. See you later." She says and continues typing away on her computer. I leave the town hall deflated, my good mood from this morning completely crushed.

* * *

"Emma? Are you okay?" Graham asks me and I look up at him through my lashes.

"Yeah. Just dandy." I mumble and he pulls a chair from a vacant desk over to mine.

"What happened?"

"I don't know. Regina and I were on such a good note, or so I thought, and today when I went to see her she got mad at me for calling her Regina and she was so... so... cold!" I admit. Graham nods and reaches over to take my hand. He rubs his thumb over the back of my hand softly to comfort me and I smile at him.

"Was there something else there that made it that so she would so cold? I mean I don't ever remember her being not that way to be honest." Graham tells me.

"Really? She's always that way?" I ask him and he nods.

"From what you're saying she's always been that way. Well I guess not always but from a young age. Her mother was so tough on her." Graham tells me about Regina and I feel bad for her even though she just humiliated me and crushed my spirit.

"Oh. Well I don't know what made her act so different around me then." I say curiously. Graham shrugs.

"I don't know Emma. But you want to know what? You can go grab Henry so he doesn't have to stay with anyone after school." Graham tells me.

"Serious?" I ask him with a smile and he nods while getting up.

"Go ahead. I'll see you tomorrow." Graham gestures to the door and I give him a quick hug before grabbing my stuff and leaving. I walk to the school and wait outside the doors for a few minutes when I get bored and walk to Henry's classroom. I peak inside the open door and see the kids are building block houses and what not. I scan the room and find Henry on his own at a lone table building a humongous block castle. He's captured in his own world, none of the noise and commotion pulling him from his castle. I see Mary Margaret watching Henry, her head tilted to the side and an interested look in her eyes. When the bell for the end of the day rings she snaps out of her daze and I move aside to let the stream of kids pass.

"Emma?" I hear and look up to see Mary Margaret standing a few feet away from me.

"Hey Mary Margaret." I say with a smile and she looks at me with a happy though surprised look.

"What are you doing here?" She asks and I'm about to respond when she cuts me off. "Oh! I didn't mean that I don't want you here! I just meant I'm surprised to see you here because normally you work later than this and-"

"Woah!" I laugh as I cut her off and her snow white cheeks blush rose pink. "Don't worry Mary Margaret, I know what you mean. No need to explain."

"You can call me Snow. Mary Margaret is too long."

"Snow?"

"I was called that my mom when I was little before she died." She tells me.

"Oh I'm sorry for your loss." I tell her and she shrugs it off.

"I only remember little things about her. I was ten." She tells me and I nod.

"What's up with Henry?" I ask her and she looks over at him before looking back at me. He hasn't moved from his spot and continues to add on to his castle and play pretend.

"Oh he loves fairy tales and playing pretend." She tells me. "Whenever we do this stuff he gets so into it and he completely zones out.

"I always knew he did but this seems so different than usual." I tell her and she nods. She suddenly straightens up and looks at me with a light in her eyes.

"One second!" She chimes and runs over to her desk before coming back with a large brown book.

"What's this?" I ask her as she hands the heavy book to me.

"I found this book in my closet which is curious because I don't ever remember buying it or borrowing it or anything. But even if I have kids anytime soon I can just borrow it from you. Take it for Henry. I think he'd love it." Snow tells me.

"Oh wow. Thank you. He'll cherish this." I tell her and hold on to the book with one hand, tucking it under my arm.

"You can go get him." She tells me, gesturing to Henry and stepping back to let me into the room. I walk over to his little table and kneel down beside him.

"Hey Henry. Did you know it's time to go home?" I ask softly and his green eyes sharpen up and lock on to mine.

"Momma! You're at my school!" He says happily and I laugh as he gives me a big bear hug.

"Yeah I am! What do we have here?" I ask him.

"It's my castle!" He exclaims. I smile at him before showing him the book.

"Check this out Henry. Miss Blanchard gave me a book for you." I tell him and his eyes go wide with excitement. He doesn't say a word, just lays a little hand on the front cover tentatively.

"It's a book of fairy tales, your favourite. You should go say thank you to Miss Blanchard." I tell him and he looks up at me. I gesture with my head to the teacher sitting on the edge of her desk, watching us. He pushes his chair back quickly and runs over to her. His arms wrap around her legs and I hear a muffled "thank you" yelled into her legs. She looks at me as she laughs and reaches down to hug him awkwardly.

"You're very welcome Henry. Make sure to use it lots." She tells him and he nods up at her quickly.

"I will!" He says.

"Henry go grab your coat and your backpack and we can go home." I say to him and he does just as I ask.

"We'll be seeing you tomorrow Snow. Have a good night and tell David I say hi." I tell her and her eyes widen a touch.

"You know about David?" She squeaks.

"I may be new to town but it's still small and word travels fast."

"Make sure you don't get yourself into trouble. I know his divorce with Kathryn was messy." I tell her, slightly concerned for the small woman.

"I will. Have a good night Emma." She tells me and Henry and I make our way home.

* * *

 **I know I added the book and called Mary Margaret Snow but there is no magic involved and it's just way easier to type Snow lol.** **It's still an AU :)**

 **I was bored so I decided to update haha. okay, so I accidentally tagged Robin on this story, I mean it's a list of characters and I clicked on him by accident and then saved it. and a bunch of people asked me to take it off (which I did obviously) but some of them were so rude about it. like damn I made a mistake.**

 **anyways... thanks for reading! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

_Emma's P.O.V_

 _"We'll be seeing you tomorrow Snow. Have a good night and tell David I say hi." I tell her and her eyes widen a touch._

 _"You know about David?" She squeaks._

 _"I may be new to town but it's still small and word travels fast."_

 _"Make sure you don't get yourself into trouble. I know his divorce with Kathryn was messy." I tell her, slightly conc erned for the small woman._

 _"I will. Have a good night Emma." She tells me and Henry and I make our way home._

* * *

Regina's P.O.V

Earlier that day...

"Mayor Mills, Robin is here to see you." Tiffany tells me and I put away my papers so I can have lunch with him.

"Send him in dear." I tell her and she nods before leaving the room. Robin walks in a second later and I stand up to greet him.

"I brought lunch. You hungry?" He asks me and I hug him.

"Very." I say and go for the bag in his hands when his fingers grab under my chin. I stop where I am and look back at him. He's got a smirk on his lips.

"You forgetting something love?" He asks and I roll my eyes before pecking him on the lips.

"Satisfied Robin?" I tease and he nods.

"Oh very. Now let's eat." He says and I take all my papers to the table on the other side of the room and place them on a table. We could be eating here but Robin likes to eat at my desk for some reason. When I come back and sit down we start eating and a comfortable silence envelopes us. A few minutes later Robin sets down his food and looks at me.

"Are you okay?" I ask him and set down my own food.

"I just wanted to ask you about the blonde I keep seeing around town. I've never seen her around before this month and she seems to be taken with you."

"Taken with me?" I ask, confused as to what he's insinuating.

"I feel like she has a crush on you Regina. And you need to tell her that you're not interested." Robin tells me bluntly. I sit back in shock.

"Excuse me?" I ask, slightly appalled at his behavior.

"I know that she's an attractive young woman and I can tell she has her eye on you and I want you to tell her that you're straight."

"She knows I'm straight and that I'm with you Robin. No need to be like that." I tell him sternly.

"Well I just wanted her to make sure that you're spoken for. I love you Regina and I want you to be only mine." Robin says.

"Don't worry Robin, I love you too." I tell him, though for some reason the words taste sour as they come out of my mouth. We move on to other, less intense topics. Lunch is almost over when a knock comes at the door and I tell Robin to pause. Tiffany pops her head in.

"Emma is here with stuff from the sheriff's station."

"Send her right in." I tell her and she nods. A few moments later Emma walks in and smiles at me.

"Hey Regina I got some paperwork for you from Graham." She says but stops when her eyes land on Robin. He looks at her and then glances at me. He gives me a look and I do what I know I need too.

"Thank you Deputy Swan. I hope Graham did it right this time." I tell her and she looks at me with a confused look on her face.

"Regina who's this?" Robin asks me, feigning confusion. I hold back a sigh and move on with introductions.

"This is the new deputy, Emma Swan. She moved to town about four weeks ago. Miss Swan, this is my boyfriend, Robin." I tell him and look back at Emma. "Remember dear, it's Mayor Mills." I say to define how our relationship is clearly professional.

"Alrighty then, Mayor Mills." She says before silence falls and I could slice the tension with a knife.

"The paperwork, Deputy Swan?" I snap and Emma looks at me with an embarrassed look on her face.

"Right. Sorry." She says quietly and I hold out my hand. She lays the folder in it and I tuck it away on my desk. I turn back to Robin as I expect Emma to show herself out. I can still feel her presence though and I turn to look at her.

"You can go now Deputy. Thank you for the paperwork." I tell her coldly, giving her an up and down look and she flinches back as if I've slapped her. I keep my stony look on my face and she looks down at the floor.

"Okay. Bye then." She says awkwardly and leaves the office. I feel her turn back and look at me but I ignore her, just as Robin wants.

* * *

"I'm thinking about supper tonight. Do you want to come to my place?" Robin asks and I look over at him.

"How about instead you come over and I cook you dinner tomorrow night?" I ask instead and he smiles.

"That sounds lovely. Tomorrow then." He says and wraps his arms around me. He kisses me on the lips and I kiss him back but for some reason it feels dirty. _I feel dirty._

"Tomorrow." I say quietly when we pull apart and he leaves my office. I sit down at my desk and put my head in my hands. Why did I do that to Emma? I just ruined a possible friendship and it would've been the first one in a long time. No one wants to be near me ever since my mother had such a strong hold on me.

I don't work much for the rest of the day, reading everything but not absorbing anything. I push everything out of my way in frustration and a few things clatter to the floor. I reach down and put everything back on the desk. I lean back in my chair with a groan and run a hand through my short brown locks.

"Always succumbing to pressure, aren't you Regina?" I ask myself and shake my head. "Why do I do that to myself?"

"Miss Mills? Who are you talking too?" Tiffany asks, making me jump slightly. I look up at her with a slightly embarrassed smile.

"Myself. This office is making me go crazy." I tell her and she giggles in that young, carefree way she has.

"Tiffany, how old are you?" I ask her out of the blue and she looks at me curiously.

"I'm 23. Why do you ask?" She says and I nod my head as I think.

"Oh just because I honestly know nothing about you and you probably know everything about me." I tell her and she shrugs her shoulders in agreement.

"Not everything, but yeah, pretty close." She admits and I laugh a little bit.

"Tiffany, you knew my mother. You're only five years younger than me. Was she a terrible woman?" I ask her and she sucks in a breath. Tiffany steps into the room more and walks towards me.

"I wouldn't say terrible. More like... Scary." She comes over and sits down across from me, in the very chair Robin was sitting in a few hours ago.

"Did she ever... I don't know, do anything to keep people away from me?" I ask and she nods.

"She just kind of stared people down when they got near you and one time this guy Daniel, you remember him?" I nod and Tiffany continues. "He went to ask your mom if he could take you on a date and she roasted him so bad no one ever came near you again."

"I... Oh my god. I can't believe her." I whisper. I had the hugest crush on Daniel as a teenager and my mother is the reason he never spoke to me again. She's the reason no one speaks to me.

"I know right. He was so embarrassed and hurt that he left town."

"She's the reason he left town!?" I exclaim and Tiffany nods. "That bitch." I mutter and she laughs.

"Yeah she was terrifying, especially when we were younger. We all felt bad when she passed but it was almost a relief if I'm being honest."

"I loved her but it was like the person choking you finally letting go of your neck." I admit and Tiffany smiles.

"Well Miss Mills I gotta say you are a lot more funny than I thought. You always act so cold. No offense." Tiffany says and I just smile.

"None taken dear. And call me Regina after works hours." I tell her and she smiles.

"Will do Regina, will do." She pauses for a moment. "Call me Tink please."

"Tink? Like the fairy from Peter Pan?" I ask.

"Yeah. My mom called me that when I was a kid because of my blonde hair and blue eyes."

"Okay, I will. You can go home now Tink. I'm going to pack up and go home myself."

"Okay. You have a good night." Tink turns to go before turning back around and stops, just looking at me. I pause packing my bag up and look at her.

"Are you okay dear?" I ask her when she doesn't say anything and she takes a breath before speaking again.

"Can I ask you what happened with Emma? When she left your office she looked like she was going to throw up." My stomach flips at her words and guilt rushes over me.

"She did?" I ask and Tink nods.

"Yeah." She tells me and I sit down in my chair.

"Do you want her number so you can call her? It'll be in the files." She asks me and I contemplate it for a moment before nodding.

"That would be appreciated Tink, thank you." She leaves and is back by the time I'm ready to go. She hands me a slip of paper and I tuck it into my coat pocket.

"I'll see you tomorrow dear. Have a good night." I tell her and she smiles at me as she pulls on her coat.

"You too Regina. Don't stress about whatever happened. Emma should be okay." Tink tells me and disappears down the stairs while I stand outside my locked office.

"I hope so." I say to the air and then walk out to my car.

* * *

I sit at my island wearing yoga pants and a t-shirt, a wine glass and a slip of paper in front of me. I stare at the paper, the numbers starting to blur together. I don't think I can call her, I can't explain everything. I don't know if she'd even understand. I don't even know if she'd forgive me. I don't know her well enough.

"It would appear you don't know anything Regina." I mumble to myself and grab my phone. My fingers won't move. I'm such a coward.

"Text her then you idiot. Don't just sit here feeling guilty." I say out loud and do it quickly before my brain can comprehend what I'm doing.

Regina: _Hello Emma._

Emma: _Is this "Mayor Mills"?_

I frown, biting my lip.

Regina: _I didn't mean that dear. I'm sorry. Please call me Regina._

Emma: _Then why did you say that? Robin make you?_

Regina: _It's complicated. I can't explain over text._

Emma: _Then I'm coming over._

My eyes widen and I drop my phone in surprise. When it hits the floor with a clatter it snaps me out of my surprise and I sweep it off the ground. I check to see if it's broken and then text Emma back.

Regina: _But you can't!_

Emma: _Too late. I'm already driving._

Regina: _For one, that's dangerous. Two, you don't know my address_

Emma: _For one, I'm fine, don't worry about me. Two, it's the big white house on Mifflin Street, Miss Mayor._

I can sense the sarcasm through the text and then I start to panic. I look down at my clothes and run upstairs.

"What am I going to wear?" I mumble as I flip through everything. I find a cashmere sweater and take off my t-shirt before pulling on the sweater. The doorbell rings then and I guess I have no choice but to wear my leggings. I walk back downstairs and look in the mirror in the foyer. My hair is a little mussed and I pat it down best I can before swiping on my emergency lipstick I keep at the door. I take a deep breath and open the door.

* * *

 **a cliffhanger for all you lovely readers! :) please leave a review!**

 **I hope you guys are having a good day/night.**


	5. Chapter 5

Regina's P.O.V

 _Emma: Too late. I'm already driving._

 _Regina: For one, that's dangerous. Two, you don't know my address_

 _Emma: For one, I'm fine, don't worry about me. Two, it's the big white house on Mifflin Street, Miss Mayor._

 _I can sense the sarcasm through the text and then I start to panic. I look down at my clothes and run upstairs._

 _"What am I going to wear?" I mumble as I flip through everything. I find a cashmere sweater and take my t-shirt before pulling on the sweater. The doorbell rings then and I guess I have no choice but to wear my leggings. I walk back downstairs and look in the mirror in the foyer. My hair is a little mussed and I pat it down best I can before swiping on my emergency lipstick I keep at the door. I take a deep breath and open the door._

Emma's P.O.V

The door opens and I swallow my nerves, hoping I look cool and composed. Regina stands at the threshold of her mansion, her hair and make-up perfect as usual. But instead of the usual pant suit or skirt and blazer, she has on a (no doubt) expensive sweater and a pair of super tight leggings. My mouth suddenly goes dry but I try to make sure she doesn't notice.

"Emma, come on in." She says and steps aside to allow me into her home. The house is warm but a little intimidating as I step in and take off my boots and jacket at the door. She grabs it from me and hangs it in the closet and I make sure my hair looks okay while she's not looking. When she turns to look at me I give her a small smile.

"Follow me. Do you want anything to drink?" She asks, and I try not to stare at her ass while answering. Her leggings are _so_ tight.

"Uh yeah. That would be great." I clear my throat and she glances back at me. I look up at her eyes quickly and she smirks. _Oh fuck did she see me checking her out!?_ I blush bright red and look away, glancing at her home. I pretend to be looking at the decorations until we get to the kitchen.

"Would you like some wine or water or something else?" She asks and I opt for the water, considering the situation. She hands it to me and I down half the glass in one gulp. She raises one perfect eyebrow and I just wave it away.

"So Mayor Mills, tell me why it's so complicated." I tell her and she opens her mouth. No words come out and I wait patiently for an answer.

"It's Robin, isn't it? What's his problem?" I ask her and she nods. I have no idea where my confidence is coming from.

"He wanted me to make it clear that I'm taken and that we only have a professional relationship." Regina tells me.

"I know you're taken. I don't understand why he's gotta be that way. Is it something I did?" I ask her and she shrugs. "What is it?"

"He thinks you like me or something." She mumbles but I catch her words. I'm about to fire off a quick defensive response but then I think it over. _Do I like her? No, I can't. I'm straight._

"But I'm straight and so are you. I think your boyfriend is a little paranoid." I laugh and she looks at me with relief and... sadness in her eyes? What's that all about?

"Yeah he definitely is. Which doesn't make sense since I have no friends and no other men asking for my hand." Regina says and I can see she's serious.

"Then what am I?" I ask her and she looks me in the eye.

"Pardon me?" She says.

"If you have no friends, then what am I?" I say with a straight face, completely serious. It's like my mouth works faster than my brain around this stunning woman. _Wait, what? Stunning? What's gotten into me?_

"I, um, I don't know. I thought you were mad at me." Regina says, sounding like a child.

"Well I am. But friends forgive each other with a heartfelt apology and a night with them watching a movie, drinking, and talking." I tell her and she looks taken aback.

"Wait what are you saying?" Regina asks, looking at me with a completely bewildered look.

"I think you know what I'm saying Regina." I tell her and she smiles with understanding.

"Emma, I'm so, _so_ , sorry for being so mean to you today." She continues on a friendly grin and I know I'm finally on the right track with Regina.

* * *

I laugh so hard my stomach starts to hurt.

"Please Regina I can't take anymore, my stomach!" I wheeze out and she giggles some more as she pours us both another glass of wine.

"And then, I came home with my lipstick smudged and my clothes wrinkled and I thought my mother was going to have a heart attack!" She tells me loudly and I admire how happy she looks right in this moment. I laugh some more and take a sip of my wine.

"What did she do!?" I ask her and she laughs so hard she can't get it out. She holds up a finger and I wait a moment longer.

"Well first she asked if I lost my virginity and I was so appalled I nearly threw up. But that was probably also because of my hangover. It was barely a hook-up. Then she tossed me into the shower with my clothes on and told me if I came out still smelling of liquor I'd never be allowed to the house ever again. I was grounded for a whole month."

"Holy shit! That's a long time." I say in wonder and she nods somberly.

"Emma can I be honest with you?" She suddenly whispers, very serious and I nod, letting out a hiccup and she giggles.

"When she died it was like being a bird getting let out of its cage for the first time ever. The first time I cried it was due to sadness and relief and happiness all rolled into one." She tells me and I nod again, wondering how bad her childhood must've been.

"But I've been talking for like, forever! You should tell me about your parents." Regina says and I sober up.

"There's nothing to tell." I tell her and down my wine.

"Oh come on, nothing?"

"Nope."

"What do you mean?"

"I've never met them." I tell her and she stops to look at me.

"You're an-" She stops and I nod, knowing what she's going to say.

"An orphan. Yeah. That's why I never gave up Henry. Even if I can't give him every material object he desires, I want to give him all the love and care he deserves." I confess and Regina looks like she's going to cry.

"Are you okay?" I ask her, suddenly concerned. I get up from my seat and walk around the island. I grab onto her hand and she looks up at me. Her gorgeous brown eyes are crystal clear and they look so beautiful under the dim light of her kitchen. She's beautiful.

"That must have been awful for you. I can't believe it. My mom may have been a jail warden but yours wasn't even there for you." A tear runs down her cheek and I hug her.

"It's okay Regina, don't worry about it. I grew up fabulous if you couldn't tell." I tell her and she pulls away.

"I should be comforting you. This is so wrong." She laughs, sniffling. I laugh too and suddenly we're both laughing really hard. Eventually we're both sitting on the floor, clutching our stomachs like out of a cheesy movie.

"What time is it?" I ask her between laughs and she glances at her microwave. She stops laughing and stands up, looking closer.

"Oh my god! It's 2 a.m.!" She shrieks and that sobers me up pretty quickly.

"I left Henry at Ruby's at 7:00 and said I'd be back in half an hour!" I tell her and she grabs her silky hair in anxiety.

"I'm supposed to be up in four hours for work. No, no, no." Regina mumbles and I stop my frantic searching for my phone to look at her.

"Have I ever told you you're crazy? Six in the morning is way too early to get up." I tell her and she gives me a small glare.

"Just help me clean and stop judging me dear." Regina says and I nod. I finally find my phone and look at the lock screen. Seven texts and three missed calls from Ruby. Oh god she's going to kill me. I've known the woman for a month or so and we've grown close but this is so not okay.

"I just realized how bad this is and how much trouble I'm going to be in." I say as I start to walk to the front door. Regina looks at me with a stern look on her face as she follows me.

"If I have a hangover tomorrow I'm going to be so angry with you Miss Swan." Regina says and I raise my eyebrows.

"Miss Swan? And you're going to be mad at me? _You're_ the one who pulled out the wine!" I accuse her jokingly but she looks at me with widened eyes as I pull on my coat and boots hastily.

" _You're_ the one who came over to _my_ house without _my_ permission!" Regina says, her voice raising a few notches. A fire is lighting in her eyes and for some reason the anger is contagious.

" _You're_ the one who was a total bitch earlier and then texted me to apologize, making _me_ come over to hear why it was _so_ complicated!" I yell at her and she narrows her eyes.

"Leave! Now!" She yells and I zip up my coat hastily.

"Gladly!" I yell back and leave, Regina slamming the door behind me.

* * *

My alarm blares the next morning and sounds like someone putting a bullhorn in my ear.

"I can't handle this today." I mumble as I look at my phone. I texted Ruby back last night and apologized for not showing up and she responded a little while ago saying that it's okay and she'll take Henry to school for me. I drag myself out of bed and stand under the shower head, letting the water somewhat wake me up. I eventually get out and get ready, making myself a strong cup of coffee along with a greasy grilled cheese breakfast sandwich. I pull my hair up into a ponytail after it's dried and put some aviators on.

"Morning Emma! How are you on this lovely Friday morning?" Graham asks cheerfully.

"Just awesome." I mumble back to him and he gives me a look.

"What's wrong? You and Miss Mayor still fighting?" He taunts me and I give a dry laugh.

"Hilarious. Just let me die in peace." I tell him and he holds up his hands in surrender.

"My apologies. Henry got to school all right by the way."

"Thank you Graham. I'm sorry for not picking him up last night. There were... Complications." I tell him and he hums as if he knows what exactly happened. Oh well, it's not like it's ever going to happen again. Ever.

"It's okay Emma. It was like a dry run for Ruby and I. She loved babysitting him last night." Graham says, waving away my apology.

"Was he... was he hurt?" I ask and he shakes his head. I was worried he would be upset with me for leaving him there.

"He fell asleep while we were watching a movie. When he woke up he was a little confused but it wasn't anything he didn't get over."

"Did he ask where I was?"

"Yeah, of course he did. You're his mom."

"What did you tell him?"

"Just that you weren't feeling good and needed some time off. He of course insisted he needed to go home to take of you but we convinced him you needed to be alone." Graham smiles and it's the first time today I smile.

"I love that kid so much." My heart swells at the thought of him and I feel guilty all over again for not picking him up last night.

"So what _did_ happen last night? Where did you go?" Graham asks, crossing his arms and grabbing a chair. I feel a sense of déjà vu at this and contemplate whether or not to tell him. But I trust him.

"I trust you Graham. You won't tell anyone, right?"

"No I promise."

"That includes Ruby at this point." I tell him and he sighs.

"I can't keep this from her! She's my wife!" He exclaims and I raise my eyebrows.

"Do you wanna know or not?" I ask him and he rubs his hands together.

"Fine! I won't tell her." He says finally.

"Alright. Well last night I went to Regina's house." His eyes widen and his eyebrows rise.

"You went to the mayor's house?" He asks in disbelief.

"Yeah I did. I went for her to explain her behaviour to me yesterday and she did and she apologized and then we started talking and I lost track of time and we drank a lot of wine and-"

"Okay Emma slow down." Graham puts his hands up and I take a deep breath.

"Right, sorry. But anyways, we were talking so much and got pretty drunk and I completely lost track of time." I tell him and he nods. When he doesn't say anything for a few minutes I finally burst.

"Say something!" I exclaim and he looks taken aback.

"I don't know what to say. Regina apologized for being cold and then got drunk with you?" He asks and I nod. "What's a drunk Mayor Mills like?"

"A hormonal giggly teenager." I say with a smile and he nods with a hum.

"I would've paid to see that." He comments and I whack him on the arm. "Ow."

"Don't be such a creep Graham." I tell him and he rubs his arm with a smile.

* * *

 **thank you to everyone who's been reading and reviewing! it's been awesome and I really appreciate it :)**


	6. Chapter 6

Emma's P.O.V

 _"Right, sorry. But anyways, we were talking so much and got pretty drunk I completely lost track of time." I tell him and he nods. When he doesn't say anything for a few minutes I finally burst._

 _"Say something!" I exclaim and he looks taken aback._

 _"I don't know what to say. Regina apologized for being cold and then got drunk with you?" He asks and I nod. "What's a drunk Mayor Mills like?"_

 _"A hormonal giggly teenager." I say with a smile and he nods with a hum._

 _"I would've paid to see that." He comments and I whack him on the arm. "Ow."_

 _"Don't be such a creep Graham." I tell him and he rubs his arm with a smile._

* * *

Regina's P.O.V

The first thing that comes to mind when I wake up is: I've only ever had two hangovers before and I now remember why I avoid them in the first place. Oh my god, my head.

The second thing that comes to mind is: damn Emma Swan and her knack of making me act so unlike myself. And damn her for being so infuriating.

I listen to my alarm play music for a few minutes and then as it feels like it's getting louder and my head pounds even harder I reach over and click the alarm off. I debate calling in sick and when my headache wins out that's exactly what I do. I fumble around for my phone and finally clasp my fingers around it. I dial the office and listen to it ring for a few moments before Tink's ever upbeat voice chirps through the phone.

"Good morning! Mayor Mills' office. How may I help you?"

"Tink, it's me, Regina."

"Mayor Mills! How are you today?"

"Not great. I need a sick day."

"Oh that's not good! Well I hope you feel better!"

"Thank you dear. Have a good day." I tell her before hanging up and falling right back asleep.

* * *

The door bell jolts me awake and I glance at the clock, completely dazed.

"Three o'clock!? Oh I need to get ready and cook supper. How could I let myself sleep for so long!?" The doorbell chimes again and I push my covers back to shuffle over to the window. A bright yellow bug sits in front of my house and I spot a blonde at my front door.

"What is she doing here?" I mumble. The door bell rings again and I grumble a few curse words at Emma Swan and her mere existence in my town. I grab my housecoat and run my hands over my hair but my morning hair is too wild too tame without a brush. I throw open the door and glare at her.

"What!?" I spit at her and she steps back in surprise.

"Did you just wake up?" She asks in surprise and I don't want to appear unorganized.

"Of course not I was merely-" I start to explain and she cuts me off with a laugh.

"You totally did!" She doubles over in laughter and that's when I finally see Henry standing behind her on the step.

"Couldn't handle a little hangover Miss Mayor?" She mocks and I say nothing, but scowl at her pink, smirking lips.

"What are you doing here Miss Swan? I'm quite busy."

"With what Regina? Trying to fix your hair? It's a disaster." She tells me and I blush beet red as she steps a little closer. I keep my face void of emotion.

"Thank you for the wonderful insight dear. But seriously, what are you here for?" I ask her and she turns around to grab Henry's hand.

"The kid here wanted to see you." She said and pushes him a teensy bit in front of her. "Tell Regina what you told me." She coaxes and Henry looks at her before turning to look at me. His big green eyes evaporate all the anger I had in me. He walks forward and tugs on my house coat, gesturing for me to lean down. I kneel down so I'm level with him and he smiles at me.

"I wanted to see you again because you're so nice to me. And-and I wanted to see your house and have supper with you again Gina." Henry says and I smile at him before glancing at Emma. She nods her head and I look back at him, taking his tiny little hands in my own.

"Well I'm so happy you came to see me dear. I missed you." I tell him sincerely and he smiles nice and wide.

"I missed you too!" He squeals, unknowingly squeezing my hands. I giggle a bit and he lets go.

"Momma let me come see you." Henry says and Emma jumps in.

"After quite a bit of convincing. I was doing so well until he pouted." I give her an exasperated look and she shrugs.

"Well Henry, would you like to come in?" I ask him and his eyes widen. He turns around and looks at Emma expectantly.

"No Henry we've gotta go home." Emma tries to tell him and he pouts, his bottom lip sticking out.

"Please momma please!" He says, his voice wobbling. Tears fill his big eyes and Emma starts to crack under the pressure. I see what she means about the pout.

"Henry can we just go home? Come on kid." Emma pleads and a tear runs down Henry's chubby cheek.

"Awe kid, please don't cry." Emma says, her voice somewhat urgent. She just about stomps her foot in frustration.

"But, but momma I wanna stay." Henry hiccups and a few more tears start to fall.

"Okay fine we'll stay." Emma grumbles and all at once Henry is smiling once again. I stand back up and Henry runs past me into the house.

"Take off your shoes! If you make a mess mom's never going to be on Regina's good side ever again!" Emma calls out and I chuckle.

"Well it looks like Emma Swan has a soft spot." I comment and she rolls her eyes.

"Who wouldn't for that kid?" She grumbles and follows me into the house. I close the door behind us and Emma's pulls off her stuff, just like last night.

"Henry? Where are you?" Emma calls out and when no answer comes I smirk.

"Looks like he's a fan of hide and go seek." I say and she looks back at me with a smile on her face.

"Watch this." She says and walks further into the house.

"Marco!" She yells out and we wait a moment until-

"Polo!" Is squeaked out. Emma smirks at me and I shrug, slightly impressed by her creativity.

"Marco!" She tries again and this time we hear the general direction of where he's hiding. In a few minutes we eventually we find him in my pantry, eating my chocolate I thought I had on a higher shelf.

"So she lets you into her house and you repay her by eating her food? Come on now Henry, that's not very nice." Emma scolds him and he just smiles a dopey grin, chocolate covering his face and hands. He looks over at me.

"Sorry Gina." He shrugs and I can't help but laugh.

"You can't laugh! I'm trying to give him heck!" Emma tells me, smacking me on the arm.

"Momma! Hitting is bad! Say sorry!" Henry exclaims and Emma looks at him in surprise.

"No Henry, don't worry I wasn't doing it to be mean I was just... Playing." Emma tries to explain but Henry crosses his arms and looks at her with a frown on his face.

"Say sorry!" He says again and Emma turns to me.

"Sorry." She mumbles and Henry nods happily. I bite my lip to keep from laughing and smirk at her. She scowls at me as her cheeks turn red.

"You're forgiven dear." I tell her and she rolls her eyes.

"Henry, can we go home now?" Emma asks, pulling him off the floor and over to the sink.

"Nope." He smiles happily and Emma shakes her head.

"Fine. Do you have a cloth Regina?" Emma tells him before turning to ask me. I nod and go into the drawers, pulling out a cloth for her. She wets it and is about to wipe him off but he squirms out of her reach.

"Henry what is with you? Quit being difficult!" Emma scolds but he doesn't stop.

"I want Gina to do it!" He says and I look over at them in surprise. Emma freezes where she is before turning to look at me.

"You don't have too Regina. Just tell him no." Emma reassures me but I shake my head.

"No it's okay." I tell her shakily and take the cloth from her hand, our fingers brushing. I feel a small tingle up my arm. I take her spot in front of the five year old and he sits still as stone waiting for me to clean him. I lightly brush the cloth over his still chubby cheeks before wiping his soft hands.

"There. Done." I say softly and Henry pats me on the cheek.

"Thanks Gina." He says and wraps his arms around my neck. "Down!" He declares loudly and I do as he asks. He runs off into the house as Emma calls out: "Don't make a mess!"

"I'm sorry about him. He thinks he can do what he wants." Emma apologizes and I just laugh.

"Don't even worry about it. In my house, he can do whatever he wants." I say, the words just slipping out. Emma smirks at me before putting a hand to my forehead. I feel as if this woman has confidence coming out of her ass. I shy from the touch and look at her with a confused look on my face.

"Yep. You've got it."

"Got what?" I say, not in the mood for games.

"Cute-itis. When his adorableness gets too be too much and you just bend to his every whim." Emma tells me and I laugh.

"Yeah, yeah Miss Swan. Now, I need to shower and get ready for tonight." I start to walk upstairs and turn to look back at Emma.

"You can stay down here with him until I'm back. I'll try to be quick." I tell her and she nods.

"Okay. Sounds good." Emma shrugs and goes to find her child.

Emma's P.O.V

After setting up Henry with some cartoons I go to explore Regina's house, curious to see what this woman has hiding in here. I wander upstairs when I hear music. I can't help myself but follow it, leading myself into what I assume is Regina's bedroom. I spot a chest of drawers lined with pictures and wander over to it, picking one up to look at it.

Regina is front and center, sitting tall, her face serious and professional. Over her left shoulder is, I assume, her father, his face soft and gentle. His hand is on Regina's shoulder and I can almost sense how much he cares for her through the picture. Over her left shoulder is her mother, her face stony and cold. I can tell that's where Regina got her serious side from. Her mother appears almost as if she could've been photo shopped in behind Regina, her hands clasped in front of her and tilted away from the other two. I put it down and continue looking for where the music was coming from.

I find a door attached to the bedroom and as I get closer the music gets louder. I inch the door open and realize it's not actually music but Regina singing. Her voice is beautiful and I get slightly mesmerized by it. The room is humid and hot, the shower walls fogged up with steam. The song comes to an end and the water turns off. When I see Regina's hand reach for the towel sitting right outside the shower on a hook, the spell breaks and I realize what exactly I've done. My eyes widen in panic as I hear the door to shower start to open. I leave the room as quickly and quietly as I can, running back downstairs to where Henry is.

By the time Regina comes downstairs my breathing is back to its normal pace and I've blocked the images of Regina in the shower.

"Did I take long?" She asks, running her hands through her wet hair.

"No not at all. He barely got through half a show." I tell her.

"Good, good." She runs out of stuff to say and starts to rock back and forth on her heels. The usually composed mayor seems fidgety.

"Do you want us to go now?" I ask her and she puts up her hands.

"No of course not! I just have company coming over tonight." Regina says.

"Company? Let me guess, Robin?" I ask her and she frowns.

"Sorry Emma. I just don't want him to see you here." Regina says, frowning.

"It's okay Regina. But we will get going. Just text me later." I tell her and she smiles.

"Okay, I will."

* * *

 **thanks for reading!**


	7. Chapter 7

Emma's P.O.V

 _"Do you want us to go now?" I ask her and she puts up her hands._

 _"No of course not! I just have company coming over tonight." Regina says._

 _"Company? Let me guess, Robin?" I ask her and she frowns._

 _"Sorry Emma. I just don't want him to see you here." Regina says, frowning._

 _"It's okay Regina. But I will get going. Just text me later." I tell her and she smiles._

 _"Okay, I will."_

* * *

Later that night I flop down on to the couch, sighing in pleasure of finally getting off my feet. Henry took way too long to get to bed and sometimes it takes a lot to love him. I start to doze off when my phone pings and I get up to grab it out of my jacket. I smile when I see it's Regina and I grab a beer from the fridge before going to back over to the couch. I sit down yoga style and unlock my phone.

Regina: _Is it bad I'm texting you while my boyfriend is sitting with me?_

Emma: _Yep. Terrible. You should be ashamed._

Regina: _Oh..._

I laugh at her complete obliviousness and shake my head.

Emma: _I'm kidding Regina. Relax. You know, for being a politician, you suck at understanding the deeper meaning._

Regina: _Oh okay. It's hard to sense sarcasm through texts Miss Swan!_

Emma: _Miss Swan? Seriously?_

Regina: _If it bothers you, then yes. Seriously._

I roll my eyes, taking a sip of my drink. This woman is going to kill me.

Emma: _Well then Madame Mayor, I see how it is._

Regina: _Oh, bringing out the "Madame Mayor", are we?_

Emma: _You bet. So what brought you to text me?_

Regina: _We're watching a movie and I frankly am not entertained._

Emma: _So picky._

Regina: _Oh shush dear. What have you done tonight?_

Emma: _Wrestled with the kid to get him to bed. It should be a sport to put stubborn children to bed._

Regina: _He can't be that bad!_

Emma: _Oh but he is! He's actually so awful to put to bed but I would be the champion of the "put the kid to bed" tournament_

Regina: _But he's just so sweet whenever he's around me._

Emma: _Because you don't have to give him heck or make him clean his room. You give him chocolate and let him watch cartoons in your fabulous house._

Regina: _Well thank you for the house compliment. But I think you're exaggerating._

Emma: _Just for that, I'm giving him to you tomorrow night and we'll see how you feel after that._

Regina: _Oh are you?_

Emma: _You bet Madame Mayor. Prepare for a whole night of Henry._

Regina: _Will do Miss Swan._

* * *

I knock on Regina's door the next night and we wait a few moments before a jean and sweater-wearing Regina opens the door.

"Emma?"

"You ready for this?" I ask, handing my child to her. She takes him with widened eyes and looks at me confused.

"Wait what?"

"Don't you remember last night's conversation?" I ask her and push my way inside. She makes a sound of utter confusion but I ignore it.

"You were serious? I thought we were joking!" Regina protests and I laugh.

"I was completely serious. I'm going to be here in case you need me but tonight is all up to you." I tell her as I walk to the kitchen once again. Watching her carry Henry with ease and comfort makes me smile. But once we're in there I see her mind take over and she tries to hand him back to me. I sense the walls going up.

"I am not prepared for this Emma! What am I supposed to feed him? How am I supposed to entertain him?" Regina starts to panic. I take Henry from her and place him on the floor before putting my hands on her arms and rubbing my hands up and down them.

"Calm down Regina. Talk to him." I tell her and she nods, taking a breath.

"Henry, tell Regina what I told you."

"Tonight Gina is my mommy and that I talk to real momma in case of an emergency." Henry states to Regina and she nods before glancing at me.

"You even prepped your child for tonight?" Regina says in disbelief.

"What can I say; I was pretty pumped for this. Alright Regina, wow me with your babysitting skills." I tell her and go and sit down at her table. For a minute Regina just looks uncomfortable until she bends down to be level with Henry.

"What are we feeling for supper Henry?" Regina asks and Henry thinks for a minute.

"Pasghetti?" He asks politely and she smiles, trying to hold back a laugh at Henry's mispronunciation of spaghetti.

"Of course. Can you help me?" Henry nods enthusiastically and I watch the two of them interact as they start to make spaghetti.

"Are you eating with us Emma?" Regina says as she is about to put the noodles in the water.

"Spaghetti sounds amazing right about now." I tell her and she nods before grabbing some more noodles to put in the pot. The entire time they cook I just observe, watching my son with his new favourite person. Regina is warm and goofy with him until she remembers I'm watching. She immediately closes up and acts like the Madame Mayor the whole town knows. I know this is how her mother raised her and I hope it is something I can change with the help of my little munchkin. I know she's changed me.

"Dinner is served!" Henry yells out and I look up at him with a smile.

"Did you have fun cooking with Regina?" I ask him and he nods with a huge smile.

"I hungry!" He says and I get up to help Regina with bringing the food to a table. She hands me the plates and our hands touch. We linger there for a second, our eyes meeting. My breath catches and I clear my throat. Regina quickly pulls her hands back and I just about drop the plates. We finish carrying everything over as if nothing happened and I help Henry fill up his plate. We start eating in silence.

"This is really good Regina." I compliment and she smiles.

"Thank you. It's a family recipe." She tells me and I nod.

"Henry, how are you liking it?" I ask him.

"Momma it's so good!" Henry says with his mouth full.

"Well that's good but there's no talking with your mouth full kid." I tell him and he nods before swallowing.

"Momma it's so good!" He tries again and I smile at him in approval. When I look up and see Regina watching I smirk at her and she just shakes her head at me. A couple minutes later after no one's made a word Henry finally breaks the silence.

"All done!" He declares and starts to get down, his face and somehow his hands covered in sauce even though he definitely had a fork. Regina starts to panic with good reason, her house being almost completely white.

"Emma what do I do?" Regina says and I just shrug. Her eyes widen and she jumps up from her chair.

"Henry! Wait!" She says loudly and he stops to turn and look at her.

"What?" He asks, putting his hands up.

"You need to be cleaned up okay? Don't touch anything." Regina says the last sentence slowly and I grimace at her back. That's Henry's favourite phrase. He takes it as: _touch everything I can in the shortest amount of time possible_. Regina turns around and grabs a cloth, making it damp with water but when she turns around Henry's nowhere to be seen.

"Emma... where is he?" Regina says slowly, turning to look at me. I shrug and smirk at her.

"Go find out." I tell her, gesturing towards the door leading to the rest of the house.

"Oh no!" She groans before leaving the kitchen in a hurry and I get up quickly to survey the damage. Right outside the room is orange handprints on the wall and I can hear his laughs of glee from somewhere in the house.

"Not so cute anymore is he?" I ask her and she glares at me.

"This isn't funny Emma." She spits at me before turning around. "Henry!? Where did you go?" Regina yells out, trying to get to my kid before he wrecks everything she owns with spaghetti sauce. We continue walking, finding a smear on the white leather couch.

"Seriously? White leather? You're asking for him to get it dirty." I question her ability of decision making and she throws up her hands.

"I wasn't planning on having a five year old run rampant through my house with spaghetti sauce on his face and hands Miss Swan." She grumbles and I laugh at her.

"Oh but you'd make such gorgeous babies Madam Mayor." I mock her and she doesn't turn around but I see the back of her neck go bright red. We find Henry in the foyer, grabbing the door knob in an attempt to open it but his slippery hands don't allow that.

"Henry freeze!" Regina yells and he stops mid-struggle, pulling his hands away from the door knob. He turns around and grins at her.

"Gina can we go for a walk?" He asks innocently and she huffs, frowning at him.

"I don't know Henry. Do you think you could help me clean up the house?" She asks and he wrinkles his nose in disgust.

"I don't like cleaning." He tells her and she laughs humorlessly.

"Well first we'll get you all clean and then we're going to clean the house anyway. You made a mess." She scolds and he shrugs. I shake my head at him and watch as Regina wipes off his face and hands. She picks him up then and carries him to a closet where she proceeds to pull out a rag and a bucket. Still holding him she carries everything to the kitchen and fills up the bucket with warm, soapy water. She balances everything in her hands with ease and I wonder if she works out, admiring her arms and legs firm with muscle. She stops outside the kitchen entrance where the perfect little spaghetti handprints were placed on the wall and she hands him the cloth.

"Okay Henry, scrub away." Regina tells him and as if by magic he does exactly what she asks him, no grumbling what-so-ever. He cleans off the wall, the couch, her door and everything else he touched. Regina took Henry's hand once he finished and guided him back to the kitchen. She went into the pantry and grabbed a piece of relocated chocolate and passed it to Henry.

"For being such a good little boy and cleaning up you get a piece of chocolate." Regina tells him and he takes it eagerly.

"Thank you Gina!" He exclaims happily and hugs her still squatting form. Her eyebrows rise in surprise at his affection and she takes a minute to hug him back. When he pulls away she looks at me and I just shrug.

"He loves to hug." I tell her and he nods in agreement.

"Alright Henry what do you want to do now?" Regina asks him and he thinks for a moment before his face lights up.

"Can we go for a walk now?" He asks and Regina nods.

"For sure. Let's go get our coats on Henry." Regina tells him and I follow the two of them to the door. She helps him get his coat and boots on before getting on her own. I stay quiet and watch how she loves to interact with Henry and I wonder why she doesn't have kids of her own.

"We all ready to go?" She asks and I nod my head along with Henry. "Then let's head out."

We leave the cozy mansion and start a walk towards Main Street. We once again end up with Henry in between us and holding both our hands. We walk in silence for a few minutes, enjoying a surprisingly warm evening in November. We get to where the school is and Henry pulls us to a stop.

"Gina. Can we please stop at the park?" He asks politely and she looks at me.

"Don't look at me. It's your choice." I tell her and she looks back down at Henry.

"Sure Henry. You run ahead and we'll catch up with you to watch." Regina tells him and he runs away at the fastest speed he can achieve. She stops to watch him go and I wait with her.

"He really is something else Emma. You're a lucky woman." Regina tells me and my heart warms.

"Thanks Regina. I don't know where I'd be without him." I tell her and we keep walking until we find a bench on the school grounds.

"If I had known you before I'd tell you but without him do you think you'd be here?" Regina asks and I look at her as we sit down.

"Here as in the park bench?" I ask her with a goofy smile and she smacks me on the arm while rolling her eyes.

"Here as in Storybrooke."

"Most likely not. I'd still be living in Boston or some other big city where there are lots of clubs and bars." I tell her and she nods.

"Can I ask you something?" Regina says and I nod.

"Ask whatever you want." I tell her and then glance at Henry, making sure he's okay.

"How old were you when you had Henry?" I knew this was going to come up sometime.

"I was seventeen. Just starting my senior year of high school." I tell her and she nods.

"Did you ever finish high school then?"

"Yeah. I made sure that I went all during the pregnancy and got a tutor for after he was born. The school surprisingly paid for it."

"Oh well that's good. So did you ever go to college?" Regina asks and I feel a great sadness wash over me.

"I could never afford to go to college or university."

"Oh." She says. "Your parents couldn't help..." She trails off suddenly and I know she remembers that I was an orphan. We fall into a slightly uncomfortable silence and I don't know what to say.

"I'm sorry Emma. I didn't mean too... I didn't want too..."

"No it's okay. It's not your fault I was abandoned as a baby. I was bounced around from foster home to foster home and as soon as I was eighteen I packed up Henry, thanked my last foster mom for being the best one I've had, and moved into this tiny one bedroom apartment." I tell her and she nods, maybe in admiration, maybe surprise.

* * *

 **next chapter will be a continuation of this one! thank you for reading! maybe leave a review? :)**


	8. Chapter 8

Emma's P.O.V

 _"Oh." She says. "Your parents couldn't help..." She trails off suddenly and I know she remembers that I was an orphan. We fall into a slightly uncomfortable silence and I don't know what to say._

 _"I'm sorry Emma. I didn't mean too... I didn't want too..."_

 _"No it's okay. It's not your fault I was abandoned as a baby. I was bounced around from foster home to foster home and as soon as I was eighteen I packed up Henry, thanked my last foster mom for being the best one I've had, and moved into this tiny one bedroom apartment." I tell her and she nods, maybe in admiration, maybe surprise._

"All by yourself? You had no support?" She asks me and I shake my head.

"I was my own support. I got a job waitressing and then I was helping out at the police station. I had a friend who would watch Henry since she had her own siblings to watch."

"You must have been exhausted all the time." Regina comments and I laugh.

"Looking back I'm proud of myself. I know I was constantly overtired and running on adrenaline but it was something I did to be where I am. Now I'm financially stable for the most part and Henry and I have always had what we needed."

"Wow, Emma I had no idea. I mean I knew you were a young single mother but..." Regina shakes her head in wonder and I just blush.

"Oh please people have been in worse situations than me." I wave away her compliment. Before she can respond Henry is back and tugs on my jacket. I point to Regina and he walks over to tug on her jacket.

"Can we get cocoa Gina? My nose is cold." Henry asks, touching a gloved hand to his button nose and Regina nods.

"Sure Henry. Let's go to Granny's." Regina tells him and he starts walking before turning around to make sure we were following. We stand up, neither of us saying a word but I can tell Regina has more questions.

* * *

"Cocoa!" Henry cheers once the diner is in sight and we both laugh at his enthusiasm. We walk into the building, the warmth instantly making me smile. I sniffle before pulling out a Kleenex and blowing my nose, hoping I'm not catching a cold. The bell jingles as the door closes behind us and the few people inside at 8:15 at night turn to look at us. I notice Snow and David sitting together in a booth and Snow gives me a curious look. A few others look at us funny but I ignore them but I notice Regina straightened her posture. We take a seat at a booth and I help Henry take off his coat.

"Hey there ladies. What can I do you for?" Ruby asks us and I glance at Regina before look up at Ruby.

"Three hot cocoas with cinnamon please." I tell her and she nods before heading back into the kitchen. Regina awkwardly stares at her hands while Henry happily doodles on a kids menu. I touch Regina's hand and her head snaps up. She shies away from my touch and I feel a pang of rejection resonate through my chest.

"Are you okay?" I ask her and she nods.

"I'm fine."

"You don't seem like it." I tell her and she shrugs.

"Well I am Miss Swan. Drop it." She whispers the last sentence and I do just that. I get up from the booth and go to the register, stopping Ruby before she can make the cocoa.

"Can you put the cocoa in to-go mugs Ruby? We're gonna head home." I tell her, laying down some money as she gets it all ready. She puts them on the counter and I gesture to Regina to join me. She hasn't taken off her coat and it makes it easier for us to get Henry ready and to exit quickly. I hand Regina her drink and hold Henry's so he doesn't take a sip and burn himself. After a few minutes out in the cold I hand Henry his cocoa and let him sip away happily as he walks a few steps ahead of Regina and me. I step closer to her and lean in, trying not to break Henry out of his happy daze.

"What's really going on Regina? I know you're not fine." I ask her and she just shakes her head. It's as if in the past couple of minutes she's changed into a completely different person.

"Is it because of everyone looking at you in Granny's? Did that make you uncomfortable?" I try asking her again but she just bites her bottom lip.

"Regina, talk to me. You know I won't leave you alone until you do." I tell her and bump her with my shoulder. She rolls her eyes and I see a glimmer of a smile on her lips.

"I just don't want people to think that we're together. I don't want word to get around to Robin or for people to think that Robin and I are having problems." Regina mumbles and for some reason it hurts me to hear those words.

"I wouldn't worry about it Regina. No one is going to think we're together. I'm a young mother and you're a successful mayor. You're polished and I'm scattered. I'm single and you have a lovely boyfriend." I tell her, just staring at the ground and making grand gestures. When I look up I notice Regina is looking at me with a sad expression on her face. We start walking up her driveway at this point, the sun has set and the air is cold and dark. I breathe in a bit of chilled air and I start to feel uncomfortable by her constant side-looks.

"What!?" I finally explode and Regina breaks into a small smile.

"Emma, you're adorable and accomplished and put together." She tells me, grabbing my hand. My stomach flutters with a handful of butterflies at her words and I only ever felt this way once before with Henry's father before he left me. This can't be happening now; I can't feel this way about Regina. About a woman.

"I... Umm... Thanks Regina." I squeak out, slightly stuttering.

"You're welcome dear." Regina says. She's still holding my hand and I can't breathe. _Fuck Emma pull yourself together!_ I pull in a much needed breath and I unconsciously squeeze her hand.

"Are you okay Emma? You're very flushed." She says, using her free hand to touch my cheek. I feel my cheeks burn even hotter than before but yet her hand stays on my cheek.

"You're so warm! Are you sure you're not feeling ill?" She asks and I shake my head.

"I'm okay." _Just a little flustered_ , I think to myself and she smiles. I smile back and look into her eyes, her dark chocolate brown eyes staring back into mine. I lose all the thoughts in my head and her eyes go slightly fuzzy. She starts to lean in and I mimic her. I can feel her cinnamon breath on my lips when a hand slaps my thigh.

"Momma! I cold!" Henry whines and I close my eyes in frustration.

"Alright Henry let's go inside." Regina says, her cheeks pink. I wipe my hands on my jeans as I follow the two of them inside the house. Regina sets Henry up in the living room with cartoons and then we both go to the kitchen.

"I feel like we spend a lot of time in here." I tell her and she nods.

"Yeah we do." She tells me and we fall into slightly awkward silence.

"What almost happened out there?" Regina asks and I laugh.

"We just about kissed." I tell her and she runs her fingers through her hair.

"What is going on with me? I have a boyfriend." She mumbles and I can't help but respond to her most likely rhetorical question.

"Maybe you don't want that boyfriend anymore." I tell her and she looks at me like I've grown a second head.

"Excuse me?"

"I said, maybe you don't want that-" I start to repeat but she cuts me off with a wave of her hand.

"I heard you Miss Swan. The 'excuse me' implied you are preposterous." Regina said and I scoff.

"Yeah, I'm preposterous." I tell her sarcastically. She glares at me until her face softens and I look behind me. Henry stands at the door, rubbing his eyes with his fists.

"Momma, can we go home now?" He asks sleepily and I nod, walking over to him. He holds his arms out and I pick him up. His head falls down on to my shoulder and I look over at Regina.

"Tell Regina thank you for supper and goodnight." I whisper to him and then look at her with a straight face. She glares at me until Henry's little voice speaks up from my shoulder.

"Thank you for supper and goodnight Gina." Henry quotes and Regina smiles at him. She walks closer to us and brushes back his hair to kiss his forehead. Her soft brown hair tickles my neck and face.

"Goodnight Regina." I say to her and she nods at me.

"Goodnight Miss Swan." She responds formally and I leave her house quickly.

 _I can't believe that infuriating woman and her thinking process. She doesn't understand anything. How can someone so smart be so stupid and blind and frustrating? How can she not see I want to be with her?_ I stop where I am in the street, all of a sudden understanding why I'm mad.

"I like Regina Mills." I whisper to the night air and almost drop Henry in surprise. I hold on to him even tighter and walk a little faster. Once at home I pull Henry's clothes off and put his pajamas on, his half sleeping form almost difficult to dress. I tuck him into bed and walk into my bedroom. I feel a bitter taste in the back of my throat, groaning at the thought of getting sick. My stomach rolls and I hurriedly get out of bed, running to the bathroom before throwing up everything I ate that day.

 _This is all Regina's fault. I can't believe I got so worked up I threw up because of her._ I feel a fever start to come on and I start to sweat even while lying on the cold tile floor of the bathroom. I call Graham and let him know I won't be coming in tomorrow and ask him if he can take Henry to school tomorrow too. Looks like I'm sick after all.

* * *

 **sorry this chapter came so late! I totally forgot that I was going to update earlier...**


	9. Chapter 9

Emma's P.O.V

 _"I like Regina Mills." I whisper to the night air and almost drop Henry in surprise. I hold on to him even tighter and walk a little faster. Once at home I pull Henry's clothes off and put his pajamas on, his half sleeping form almost difficult to dress. I tuck him into bed and walk into my bedroom. I feel a bitter taste in the back of my throat, groaning at the thought of getting sick. My stomach rolls and I hurriedly get out of bed, running to the bathroom before throwing up everything I ate that day._

 _This is all Regina's fault. I can't believe I got so worked up I threw up because of her. I feel a fever start to come on and I start to sweat even while lying on the cold tile floor of the bathroom. I call Graham and let him know I won't be coming in tomorrow and ask him if he can take Henry to school tomorrow too. Looks like I'm sick after all._

* * *

"Momma? You okay?" Henry's asks, waking me from my nap on the bathroom floor. I spare a glance to the clock sitting on my bedside table that I can luckily see from where I am. It's been only thirty minutes since I last threw up and I look up Henry.

"Momma's sick Henry so I want you to stay away from me okay kiddo? I'll help you get ready and then Sheriff Graham is gonna take you to school, okay?" I tell him and he nods.

"Can you go get dressed while I make you breakfast?" I ask him and he nods.

"Can I have cereal?" He asks as he walks away and I tell him yes as I sit up. I groan, my stomach still beating itself up.

"Good god I have to be the most unlucky woman alive." I moan, slowly getting to my feet. I shuffle to the kitchen and grab Henry a bowl and spoon as well as the box of cereal and some milk. He makes his way out wearing a dinosaur t-shirt and cargo pants as well as a green sweater.

"God you are a fashion icon kiddo." I tell him, ruffling his hair. He smiles up at me and then waits patiently as I help him fix up a bowl of cereal.

"When you're done what do you do?" I ask him and he swallows before answering.

"I put my bowl and spoon in the sink and go brush my teeth." He states and I smile.

"Good job kid. I love you. Get ready for school and Graham will be here soon." I tell him before making a nest on the couch with everything a sick girl needs.

* * *

Regina: _Why aren't you at work?_

Emma: _What, no hi? No how are you?_

Regina: _Hi._

 _Why aren't you at work?_

Emma: _I'm busy dying_

Regina: _You're sick?_

Emma: _I'm extremely sick. Now if you'll stop busting my balls I'm going to go throw up again and then take some anti-nausea pills._

Regina: _Busting your balls? I'm appalled at the very sentence._

Emma: _Want something else to be appalled at? Cause I will send you a picture of my vomit if you keep bothering me for no reason._

Regina: _That's extremely disgusting. I was texting to wonder where you were._

Emma: _Why Madame Mayor, are you concerned for me?_

Regina: _I'm more concerned about my town and its paperwork._

Emma: _Ouch. That hurts. And I'm not talking about my stomach. Or my head. Or my throat._

Regina: _Very funny. Feel better dear._

Emma: _Thanks_

* * *

Regina's P.O.V

It's been four days since my last conversation with Emma but I've gotten Tink to tell me whether or not Emma has shown up to work. She's once again at home, still sick with the flu. I go through my work day as usual but every time I have a free moment my thoughts drift to the poor blonde bed-ridden with a stomach bug.

I'm reading through some emails when my phone buzzes and I unlock it, reading the text message.

Robin: _Hey love! I was wondering if you wanted to come over tonight and I could make you some supper?_

I think about his offer but all I can think about it Emma sick all alone at home.

Regina: _Not tonight Robin. I'm feeling a touch under the weather and just need to go home to rest tonight._

Robin: _All right. I'll text you later to see how you're doing :)_

Regina: _Sounds good. I'll talk to you later._

Once the day is done I start driving home but end up at the grocery store and in the pharmaceutical area. I keep going on impulse and buy some medicine and other items I feel she'll need. When I'm done I call up Tink who said she'd be at the office for a while after I'd gone.

"Mayor Mills' office, how can I help you?" Tink asks.

"Hello Tink. I was wondering if you could do me a favour?"

"For sure Mayor Mills! What do you need?"

"Can you get me Emma Swan's address?"

"Give me a minute and I'll find it for you." She says and I wait patiently for it. A minute later Tink tells me the address and I write it down.

"So why do you need Emma's address, if you don't mind me asking?" Tink pries and I blush, thankful she can't see it.

"I have some paperwork for her that can't wait if she's going to be sick for much longer." I lie quickly and Tink hums.

"All right. Well, have fun giving Emma her paperwork." Tink says and I can tell she knows I'm lying.

"Have a good night dear." I tell her and hang up before she can retort. I pull out of the store's parking lot and drive to the address I was given and park my car outside. It's a nice apartment building and I'm proud of Emma for finding such a clean place. I grab my small bag of groceries and tuck my keys into my pocket, getting out of the car. I head up to the apartment Tink told me is Emma's and I knock on the door. When I get no answer I try the door knob and find it unlocked.

"Emma?" I call out, poking my head in. I can smell nothing until I step in and then I'm hit by the scent of lemon cleaner. I hear the TV playing and follow it to find a lump on the couch.

"Emma, is that you?" I ask and a blonde head pops up, her hair messily thrown up into a bun on the top of her head. She has massive bags under her usually bright eyes and her skin is bleached of colour. And yet, all I can think of is how cute she looks.

"Regina? What the hell are you doing here?" Emma croaks, her throat dry and unused.

"I wanted to check in on you. It's been four days and you look like death. Also, your door was unlocked." I tell her and she cracks a sad smile.

"Oh I feel like death too. And oh well, no one is going to rob me." She tries to joke but laughing makes her go into a coughing fit. I walk over to her quickly and sit down beside her, grabbing the glass of water sitting on the coffee table. I hand it to her and she takes a small sip.

"Thanks. So seriously, why are you here? Henry's been living with Ruby and Graham so you shouldn't be here either."

"I came to take care of you for tonight. You need it." I tell her and she shakes her head. I stand up and pull off my coat, going to hang it up over by the door. I start taking off my shoes when she speaks again.

"No I don't want to make you sick. Go home to your boyfriend and I should be fine in a day or two." Emma protests, starting to get up. I walk back over quickly and push her down gently. I frown at the boyfriend part but choose to ignore it.

"Miss Swan, stop right where you are and let me apologize for being so rude to you when you came over with Henry a while ago." I tell her and she stares me with dull green eyes.

"Fine. But only because I don't have the energy to kick your ass out." Emma grumbles as she lies back down. I bite my lip to avoid laughing at her.

"How's your stomach feeling?" I ask her and she peels her eyes back open to look at me.

"Actually, really good."

"When the last time you threw up?"

"Yesterday."

"When the last time you ate something and it stayed down?"

"Four days ago."

"Okay I'm going to make you some soup and I'm hoping you can keep it down. In the mean time, do you have a fever?"

"I don't know. Do I?" She asks and I put my hand to her forehead. It's blisteringly hot and she sighs at the coldness of my hands.

"You definitely do." I tell her and go to her bathroom to grab two face cloths and dampen them with cold water. I take them back out and place one on her forehead and one on the back of her neck. She sighs in relief of the cold and I smile.

"Are you cold?" I ask her.

"No. I'm really hot right now." She grumbles, kicking off her blanket. She's only wearing boy short underwear and a tank-top and I'm pretty sure she's not wearing a bra so I look away, feeling flustered at the thought of her barely wearing any clothes.

"I'll, uh, grab you some ice cream then. Do you have any?" I ask her and she nods, pointing to the freezer. I come back with a bowl of vanilla ice cream and hand it to her. She eats it slowly, watching TV as she does. I get out some medicine and basically have to force feed it to her. She's like a stubborn child.

"God that was fucking gross." Emma spits at me, much more awake than a few seconds ago. I scowl at her vulgar language.

"Emma! Watch your mouth!" I scold and she blushes.

"Sorry. But it was!" She defends herself and I nod.

"I don't doubt it dear." I sit down to watch TV with her until I notice her shivering beside me despite the massive blanket she suddenly has draped around her.

"Are you okay?" I ask her and she shakes her head.

"I-I-I'm s-s-s-so c-cold Regina." She stutters and I feel her forehead, still finding her alarmingly warm.

"I'll make you that soup now and warm you up a heating pad." I tell her, going into mother mode. I grab the heating pad from the bag and throw it into the microwave and start up the soup on the stove. Once the heating pad is done I walk back over to the couch and hand it to Emma as well as the Vapo rub.

"Put this on and then put the heating pad over it. It'll work wonders for your cough." I tell her and she holds the container of Vapo rub with confusion on her face.

"I've never used this stuff before Regina." She tells me, cuddling the heating pad to her body.

"Well then do you need my help?" I offer and she looks at me.

"Actually, yeah. That'd be awesome." She tells me and I grab it out of her hands. I open the container and I tell her to turn away from me.

"Is it okay if I lift up your shirt to rub it on your back?" I ask and she nods.

"Go ahead." She says and I gingerly lift it up to put my hand under her shirt. I start rubbing the Vapo rub on to her back and she closes her eyes happily. Her back is smooth with a birthmark and beauty marks here and there. After I'm done I put her shirt back down and rub lightly. I get her to lie on her stomach and place the warm pad on her back. I take the damp cloths she placed on the coffee table and put them on her shower rack to dry before going back to my soup I left simmering.

A few minutes later I bring Emma a bowl and notice she's dozed off. I shake her awake and hand her a bowl, getting her to eat something besides ice cream. After a few bites I hand her some Tylenol for her fever and a glass of apple juice to get some sugar and water into her body. I'm guessing she's very dehydrated. She gulps it down greedily and I pull out a Powerade for her to drink.

"Drink it slowly okay? I don't want you to throw up again." I tell her and proceed to care for her as she slips in and out of consciousness. By the time it hits ten o'clock at night I tuck her in and leave a note about how much medicine she should take and how often as well telling her she has left over soup in the fridge. I tell her to text me with any questions and I can't help but kiss her on the forehead before slipping out the door into the night.

* * *

 **I really liked this chapter because like SwanQueen feels yay :) plus it showed Regina's maternal side since she doesn't have kids so idk I just really enjoyed writing it**


	10. Chapter 10

Regina's P.O.V

 _"Drink it slowly okay? I don't want you to throw up again." I tell her and proceed to care for her as she slips in and out of consciousness. By the time it hits ten o'clock at night I tuck her in and leave a note about how much medicine she should take and how often as well telling her she has left over soup in the fridge. I tell her to text me with any questions and I can't help but kiss her on the forehead before slipping out the door into the night._

Emma's P.O.V

I wake to the sound of laughter coming from the T.V. and lower the volume. I check my temperature and see it's finally back to normal. I find a note on the table and read it over, smiling at Regina and her organization, as well as her fabulous hand-writing. I take the amount of medicine she instructed even though it makes me gag and I eat the leftover soup in the fridge before getting the heating pad and putting it on my chest along with some Vapo rub. I feel infinitely better and I secretly thank Regina even though I don't remember much of last night.

Bits and pieces are fresh in my memory such as when she gave me ice cream and force fed me medicine like I'm a little kid. Oh and I definitely remember her rubbing Vapo rub into my back. Sometime during the night I felt a feather light kiss on my forehead and I'm certain I didn't imagine it.

I get up from the couch, my living area for the past four days and finally have the energy to shower. I'm surprised Regina didn't run away as soon as she stepped into my apartment. It's both a wreck and somewhat smelly. I'm somewhat smelly. I relish in the warm water and scrub away at my greasy hair, feeling like I'm washing the rest of my illness away. Once I'm out of the shower I make myself some tea with honey for my still sore throat and check my phone. I've got a message from Ruby and Regina.

Ruby: _Hey! I was just wondering how you're feeling. Henry misses you!_ Attached is a photo of Henry and Graham playing with Henry's toy trucks and I smile at my baby boy.

Emma: _I feel so much better! I'll be by to pick up Henry at whatever time works for you._

Ruby: _How about me meet at the diner right before my shift? Granny likes to spoil Henry with a baked goods while I've got him under my care ;)_

Emma: _Haha sounds good :) what time does your shift start at?_

Ruby: _I've got the supper shift so I'll see you at about 4:45?_

Emma: _See you then!_

I save the picture of Graham and Henry to my photo album before checking the message from Regina.

Regina: _I do hope I've nursed you back to health Miss Swan._

Emma: _Yes you have Madame Mayor. You're a miracle worker._

I start to clean up the house so it's not germ infested and gross for when Henry comes home while I wait for a response. I throw all the blankets and clothes I was using in the washing machine and run hot water in the sink to wash all my dirty dishes laying out. I spray the bathroom with Fabreeze and I wipe down all the counter tops in the entire apartment. I've put stuff in the toilet and set a timer to know when to clean it while I wipe the sink and open all the windows in the entire apartment. I come back to my tea to find it cold and have just put it in the microwave when my phone pings. I walk over to it quickly and pick it up to find a message from Regina. My smile unconsciously grows at her name on my screen.

Regina: _Oh please as if I didn't know that already._

Emma: _Well well isn't someone sure of them self._

Regina: _I'm merely confident._

Emma: _If the word for cocky is now confident then yeah, you're confident._

Regina: _You're a pain in the ass_

Emma: _Oh my such foul language! :O And if the new phrase for super awesome and spectacular is you're a pain in the ass then yea, I'm a pain in the ass._

Regina: _I just can't win with you today can I?_

Emma: _What can I say, you better butter me up, I'm on a roll ;)_

Regina: _Oh my goodness Miss Swan that was a terrible play on words_

Emma: _Well maybe I can make it up to you if you come to my place for supper tonight?_

As soon as I hit send a part of me feels like throwing up but I just ignore that and wait for her reply. I start to wash dishes as I wait and am thankful for the distraction. As soon as my phone pings my heart jumps and I am about to grab it with wet hands but I remember not to wreck my phone.

Regina: _I think that will do._

I smile uncontrollably at the text and type a fast reply to Regina, my fingers flying across the phone.

Emma: _So I'll be seeing you at 6:00?_

Regina: _Count on it_

I do a complete happy dance as soon as she sends that and I abandon my dishes for the time being to go to the store. I pick out all the ingredients and get back home before putting them on the counter. I finish up the dishes and before I know it it's time to go get Henry. I make sure every dish is done and put away before getting back in my car and driving to the diner. I walk in quickly, the winter chill finally making itself known and I remember Christmas is in a little under a month. The bell on the door makes my entrance known and before I can locate Henry I hear his little voice squeak out his excitement.

"Momma!" He squeals loudly, tackling my legs. I peel him off and lift him up, hugging him tightly.

"I missed you so much kid." I say into his hair, still hugging him to me. When he pulls back he puts his hands on my face, cupping them and staring into my eyes. I wait a few beats before he smiles and kisses me.

"You're all better?" He asks and I nod.

"Right as rain. Wanna know a secret?" I ask him and he nods, leaning closer.

"Yeah I won't tell anyone." He whispers and I smile.

"Regina helped me get better. She's like magic." I tell him and his eyes widen.

"Like magic?" He whispers excitedly and I laugh a little.

"Yep. She's even captured me with a spell." He starts to look scared so I elaborate. "But it's the best kind of spell. The kind that makes you see them in the best way even if they aren't the best and makes you feel all fluttery inside."

"Gina makes me feel happy too Momma." Henry tells me and I kiss his cheek.

"But remember Henry, that's our..."

"Secret!" He whispers and I nod happily.

"Exactly. You're so smart kid." I tell him and he smiles proudly.

"Thanks momma." He says and I set him down. I notice Ruby tying on her waitress's apron and laugh at the fact she can't wear her uniform anymore due to her ever-growing baby bump.

"Hey Ruby." I say with a smile, walking up to her. She smiles at me and I hug her. When I pull back she touches my face lightly.

"You look great Emma! You've really recovered well." Ruby says and I blush.

"Thanks Ruby. And I really appreciate you and Graham taking care of Henry. I didn't want him catching whatever it is I had." I tell her with a frown, guilt eating at my stomach and she waves me away.

"It was lots of fun. He's an angel." Ruby says and I laugh.

"Well it's a good thing he loves hanging out with you."

"Graham is his favourite for sure. They would spend hours together. But Henry is fascinated with the fact I have a baby growing inside of me."

"He's a curious kid, what can I say? But he's also smart so it makes getting him to school so much easier. Did he cause you any trouble?"

"No, it was a real pleasure having him Emma. I don't want you to feel bad at all. We all get sick."

"And when your little one makes an entrance remember that I'll always return the favour." I assure her and she smiles before she goes over to a table to start her shift. I look down at Henry who's been patiently waiting for Ruby and I to finish talking.

"Wanna go home kid? I asked Regina to come over for supper and I need to start cooking." I tell him and he nods delightedly. I take him outside and strap him into his booster seat before getting in, starting the car, and driving home. As soon as we're inside Henry runs to his room to look at the story book Snow gave him and play with his toys. I go to the kitchen and start pulling things out and organizing them in the order I'll need them.

I put on some music and dance while I chop up vegetables, make sauce, and fry up some chicken and beef. I multi-task like a champ, stirring my sauce and tasting it before checking on the meat. Once it's done I cut up the chicken and beef and put it in the oven to keep it warm when I notice the time. I set everything to low heat and run into my bedroom, trying to find something casual yet sexy. She may have a boyfriend but I know I can win her over.

I quickly pull on some tight black pants and a red blouse, keeping my feet bare. I go into my bathroom and swipe on some black eyeliner and mascara. I put everything away and make sure my room is clean and the bed made before going back out to attend my food. I hear the doorbell ring and double check my hair is presentable before opening the door. Regina is wearing a skintight black dress and bright pink pumps. Her hair is slightly curled and her lips are dark red. I start to feel aroused just looking at her so I step back to welcome her in.

"Hey Regina. Come on in." I tell her, gesturing to the apartment. She starts to take off her coat so I help her out, taking it from her and putting it on one of the hooks by the door. She slips off her shoes and I'm happy because it makes her less intimidating.

"Well aren't you looking great? And your apartment too." She comments, smirking at me.

"Thanks." I laugh. "I spent the day cleaning just for you."

"How nice of you. What's cooking? It smells amazing."

"Chicken and beef stir fry. Do you want anything to drink? I have some wine in the fridge." I offer and she nods.

"I'd love some wine." She says and I grab a glass from the top shelf where Henry can't reach before passing her the wine and a cork-screw.

"I'm gonna finish cooking so you can pour yourself a glass. Actually, can you pour me one too?" I ask and she nods. I grab another glass and she opens up the bottle with simple grace. She pours the wine as I put the veggies I chopped earlier and some oil into a pan to saute the vegetables. It falls silent for a few moments until I hear a clatter come down the stairs. I know it's Henry but I see Regina turn around to see what's going on.

"Gina! You're here." Henry exclaims. He runs over and gives her a hug. She doesn't look surprised by his displays of affection towards her anymore and returns the hug easily. I smile at how much Henry has grown to like Regina and how she cares for him as well. I finish with the vegetables and get the meat out of the oven. I mix it all together and grab the pot of sauce. I get Regina to grab the hot plates as to not wreck the table and she grabs our wine as well.

"So take however much you want and cover it all in sauce." I tell her and she nods. She does as I instructed and then I give Henry his plate. He digs in quickly and then I get myself some delicious stir fry.

"I've never had this before but I must say I'm pleasantly surprised. Good job Emma." Regina says and I smile, blushing slightly.

"Thank you! I learned to make it a while ago and I've just perfected it." I tell her and she takes another bite, smiling at me.

* * *

 **I'm sorry for not updating in awhile! I totally forgot...**


	11. Chapter 11

Emma's P.O.V

 _"So take however much you want and cover it all in sauce." I tell her and she nods. She does as I instructed and then I give Henry his plate. He digs in quickly and then I get myself some delicious stir fry._

 _"I've never had this before but I must say I'm pleasantly surprised. Good job Emma." Regina says and I smile, blushing slightly._

 _"Thank you! I learned to make it a while ago and I've just perfected it." I tell her and she takes another bite, smiling at me._

Regina's P.O.V

When Emma opened the door and I saw her in tight jeans and a revealing top, I must admit my mouth went a little dry. She's a beautiful woman and I'm excited to taste her cooking. Hopefully she can cook. But as soon as I tasted her stir fry I knew she was as great as I thought. Being a young, single mother means nothing when you're successful and smart.

I sneak a glance at her while we're eating and see her looking at Henry to make sure he's not making a mess. Her blonde hair looks golden in the lighting and I'm sure those beautiful beach waves are natural. Her emerald eyes look up and capture mine and I just smile at her, not embarrassed about getting caught staring at her. She still blushes though and smiles before looking away.

"Are you enjoying your meal?" She asks me, and her voice gives me small shivers. I brush them off and swallow the food in my mouth before answering.

"It's very good. I think I'm going to need you to cook for me more often." I tell her and she beams with pride.

"Thanks. I just might be able to if the moment arises." She tells me and I smile.

"I'll be sure to make that happen." I wink at her and her cheeks flame up once again.

"Momma I'm done." Henry declares and she peels her eyes away from me to look at him.

"Well what do we do when we're done eating?" She asks and he takes a moment to think.

"We ask to be excused and put our plate in the sink." Henry states and I almost laugh at his serious tone of voice.

"Very good Henry."

"May I be excused momma?" Henry asks sweetly and I watch Emma smile at his manners.

"Yes you may Henry. Remember to wash up so you don't get your toys dirty." Emma tells him and he nods before leaving the table, his plate in hand. Once he's washed his hands and raced upstairs I know we can finally talk without worry about censoring ourselves.

"I'm proud of you Emma."

"What for?" She asks, spooning the last forkful of food on her plate into her mouth.

"For that little boy right upstairs. You've raised him right."

"Oh well thank you." She laughs a little bit. "Sometimes I wonder what my life would be like if Henry's dad never left me and we ended up raising him together."

"Have you dated since him?" I ask her, slightly jealous that she's thinking about her old boyfriend. _Regina you have a boyfriend. And you love him._

"No. Definitely not. I wanted to be fully involved with Henry. A relationship would have just given me a whole lot of difficulty."

"Do you mind if I ask you about Henry's father?" I ask boldly and she nods.

"I trust you won't do anything with the information I give you so no, I don't mind." She says and I think carefully before choosing my first question.

"What is his name?"

"Neal." She says, taking a sip of her wine.

"How old were you when you first met him?"

"We were both fifteen, in our sophmore year of high school."

"How old were you when you got pregnant?"

"I would have been sixteen. I was a stupid, hormonal teenager. I... I loved him and I thought he loved me but I guess not." Emma whispers the last part and my heart breaks for sixteen year old Emma. I grab her hand and squeeze it gently, getting her to meet my eyes.

"He missed out." I tell her sincerely.

"Thank you Regina." She says quietly, smiling happily.

"Are you okay if I ask anything else?" I ask her and she nods.

"Go ahead."

"How often do you wonder about a life with him?" I ask her and she looks slightly taken aback. She thinks for a minute before answering me.

"Not very often. Mostly when I'm really lonely and my thoughts just drift to the places that I try to ignore." Emma says and I nod in understanding.

"Do you ever miss him?"

"No. I miss who he was before I got pregnant. I've heard stories about him and he doesn't seem to be doing super great anyway. So that brings me a sick sense of joy to know as of now that Henry and I are better off than he is." I laugh at her confession and she cracks a smile.

"Yeah I understand exactly where you're coming from." I tell her and before I can continue on my phone starts to ring. I get up from where I'm sitting with an apology and grab it, answering it.

"Hey Regina." I hear through the phone and I slightly panic when I figure out who's calling.

"H-hey Robin." I say, my voice cracking a bit. Emma looks at me with her eyebrows raised when she hears who I'm talking too.

"I went by your place to surprise you but you weren't there. Where are you?" Robin asks and I cough nervously.

"I'm at the office. I needed to get some stuff done before tomorrow so I stayed late." I lied to him, so relieved he can't see the guilt on my face.

"Can I stop by and bring you supper? I'm sure you're hungry." He tries and I look to Emma, covering the speaker. I mouth the word _help_ to her and she gets up and grabs the phone, putting it on speaker.

"Tell him you already grabbed something from Granny's and went back to the office to continue working." She whispers quiet enough so Robin can't hear her.

"No don't worry about going out of your way. I grabbed something from Granny's and went back to my office to continue working." I tell him.

"Are you sure you don't want any company? We haven't spent any time together lately." Robin points out and I bite my lip and glance at Emma. She shrugs and I think of something to say quickly.

"I know and I'm sorry. But I need to concentrate on this. I'll call you later." I tell him and he sighs.

"Alright fine. Good night then Regina."

"Goodnight Robin." I tell him and he hangs up.

"Well well isn't he moody." Emma comments and I chuckle.

"What can I say, I have been blowing him off." I tell her, walking back over to the table. I pick up my wine and down the rest of it.

"But it's because I'm so much better to hang out with obviously." Emma comments, grabbing my plate and her own and taking them to the sink. She cleans up all the dishes and starts to wash them but stops when she notices me staring at her.

"You were so quiet there I forgot for a second you were here." She jokes and I smile at her lame attempt to raise my spirits.

"Very funny Emma. Do you want some help?" I ask her and she shakes her head.

"Don't bother. There isn't a lot here." She continues washing and I ignore her anyway, grabbing a towel to dry everything off.

"Just tell me where they go." I tell her and she shakes her head.

"You're stubborn." Emma comments and I laugh.

"Just like you dear." I say and she laughs too. We finish up the dishes and then she pours us both some more wine.

"Come sit on the couch with me." She says and I grab my glass and follow her to the couch. We sit down and Emma just looks at me.

"What?" I ask her, feeling uncomfortable.

"You're really pretty." She whispers and then her eyes widen and I notice her chest redden. "I did not mean to say that out loud."

"Awe you're like a cute little teenager." I say and pat her cheek. She scowls like a child and I smirk.

"You just love to mock me don't you." She deadpans.

"Why yes, yes I do." I tell her and she just frowns, taking a long sip of her wine.

"All right time to change the subject." Emma says and I nod.

"Sure. What topic did you have in mind?" I ask and she doesn't miss a beat.

"Why did you lie to Robin about hanging out with me?" She asks and I don't know how to answer.

"I... umm... I just didn't want to make him mad."

"Do I make him mad?"

"Well I wouldn't say mad. More like jealous or something." I mumble and look up at Emma when she doesn't answer. She's drinking her wine in quick, little sips and has a weird look on her face.

"Are you okay?" I ask her, putting my wine down. I put my hand on her arm and she looks up at me quickly.

"Uh yeah actually. I'm pretty great." She laughs and my eyebrows pull together in confusion.

"And why are you great?"

"Because your boyfriend is jealous of me. Your boyfriend is jealous of _me_. Why is he jealous?" She asks and I'm once again stumped.

"I-I-I..." I stammer and she smiles.

"Am I making you nervous Regina?" She asks coyly, turning her body to face me.

"I-" I clear my throat. "I am not nervous Miss Swan."

"Oh really?" Emma asks and places her wine on the table. I don't know what the hell she's going to do and I notice my hands are starting to get sweaty. I wipe them on my dress and she smirks.

"Yes really. What are you getting at?" I ask her and she brings her face closer as if I can't hear her.

"I'm getting at the fact that your boyfriend seems to find me a threat and now I'm making you nervous especially now that I've brought it to your attention." She comments and I grab my wine to drink in order to avoid responding to her.

"Are you okay Regina?" She whispers, shuffling closer to me.

"I'm fine dear."

"Regina can I ask you something?" She asks, her face a foot away from mine.

"Yeah of course." I tell her, staring into her captivating green eyes. I feel a sense of deja-vu wash over me. My mind flashes back to the night at my house when I took care of Henry and we came back from Granny's. I was feeling down and she is the perfect pick me up.

"Have you ever had feelings for a girl?" She asks and I hesitate, weighing my different answers. But I trust her so I take a risk.

"Only one. She has green eyes and blonde hair and a dopey smile that can give me butterflies. Plus her son makes her that much more attractive." I tell her quietly and she grins like a fool, her eyes sparkling with what I've just told her.

"Can I ask you another question?" She says, moving a little bit closer to me.

"Go for it." I say breathlessly, my heart beating out my chest as Emma's hand rests on my arm. I turn to face her, tucking one leg under the other one so my body is square with hers.

"How would you feel if you got kissed by said girl?" She asks and I lick my lips.

"Let's find out." I say quickly and put my hands on her cheeks, cupping her jaw. I lean in to meet her lips, my stomach exploding with nerves. They travel straight to my core and I come closer to her, our legs brushing as her arms wrap around me. She pulls back a moment to take a breath before our lips meet again and I find myself sitting on her lap. She kisses me slowly and I feel her hands travel up my back to fist in my hair. She gives a light tug and I open my mouth in surprise at how much I enjoy it.

Her tongue enters my mouth and I kiss her harder, my hands going down to pull her close to me. I feel her chest against my own and I feel something in my stomach. I pull away from Emma and take a deep breath to calm myself down. Her chest is moving at a rapid pace and mine mimics hers.

"Since I was just kissed by said girl I'd have to say I feel something I haven't ever felt before."

"And how's that?" She asks, worry washing over her face.

"Like I would do it again." I tell her, blushing at the fact. Her face lights up and I laugh at her child-like appearance in this moment.

"Oh would you? Well, let's not keep you waiting then." She says, kissing me again softly. When she pulls back I frown.

"That was quick." I tell her and she laughs, the sound music to my ears.

"In case you forgot I have my kid right upstairs. He's mature but he doesn't need to see this." She says, gesturing to our situation. I blush as I move off her lap and straighten out my dress before running my hands through my hair.

"You're right. I'm sorry Emma." I tell her and she gets up with a laugh.

"No need to apologize. I initiated everything." She shrugs, her face smiling elatedly.

"Good point. Well, it's actually getting a bit late and you probably need to put Henry to bed so I'll get going." I tell her and stand up as well. We both grab our empty glasses and take them to the sink.

"Need some help with your coat m'lady?" Emma jokes, grabbing my coat from the hook. I slip on my shoes and look at her with a smile.

"That would be lovely, thank you." I joke back and she helps me put on my coat. She gets up on her tippy-toes to kiss me once more.

"Goodnight Regina." She says quietly.

"Goodnight Emma. I'll text you tomorrow." I tell her and she smiles contentedly before I open the door and leave with a smirk on my face.

* * *

 **BOOM FINALLY GOT THE ACTION.**

 **I've been waiting to write that but when you write you gotta build up the tension first. but yeah, here it is!**


	12. Chapter 12

Regina's P.O.V

 _"Need some help with your coat m'lady?" Emma jokes, grabbing my coat from the hook. I slip on my shoes and look at her with a smile._

 _"That would be lovely, thank you." I joke back and she helps me put on my coat. She gets up on her tippy-toes to kiss me once more._

 _"Goodnight Regina." She says quietly._

 _"Goodnight Emma. I'll text you tomorrow." I tell her and she smiles happily before I open the door and leave with a smile on my face._

Emma's P.O.V

I'm sure Regina had been gone for a few minutes but I didn't move until I heard Henry's voice calling for me.

"Momma! Can you come upstairs!?" He calls, getting louder getting louder with every single word.

"I'm coming!" I yell back and he stops screaming for me. I go and get a cup of milk for him to drink before I get him to put on his pajamas and put him to bed. I walk to his bedroom and stop to look at him.

"Momma! Look what I built!" Henry exclaims happily and I look in wonderment at his creation.

"Wow Henry. This is incredible." I say, slightly breathless. His wooden building blocks have been built into a huge castle, big enough to support his action figures. He even has a princess sitting in one of the towers.

"Thanks! I was playing with them while you and Gina were talking downstairs." He tells me and then he notices the cup in my hand. "Is it bedtime?"

"Yeah it is. Sorry buddy. I don't want to ruin your fun but we don't want to be tired tomorrow when it's Henry's day to choose everything, right?" I ask him and he nods. He gets up and puts on his pajamas and then drinks his milk before going to the bathroom and joining me back in his bedroom.

"Momma? Can you read me a story from my book?" He asks quietly, yawning as he crawls into bed.

"Of course kid. Which one would you like to hear about?" I ask as I tuck him in and hand him his blanket before grabbing the now treasured book from Snow.

"The one about the queen and the prince and Snow White." He rambles, yawning again. Well this'll be easy. He's already wiped out.

"Alrighty." I tell him, flipping to the book mark. "Once upon a time..."

* * *

I'm laying in bed the next morning, slightly awake but not quite when a warm body slips under the blankets and burrows into my side. I turn towards him and lay an arm over his side, pulling him closer. His head pops out of the blanket so he can breathe but he stays right where he is, the only movement from him is his chest moving and his hands grabbing on to my shirt. We lay there for a few minutes until I feel him stirring.

"Good morning Henry." I say quietly, ruffling his hair softly. His green eyes look up into mine and he smiles.

"Morning momma." He says. I kiss his forehead and he kisses my cheek. I smile at him and his little displays of affection.

"Mom?" He says and I look back down at him.

"Yes Henry?"

"Do you like Gina?" He asks and I look at him with slightly narrowed eyes.

"Well yeah Hen. She's my friend." I tell him and he shakes his head.

"Do you like Gina like how Ruby likes Graham?" He asks and I bite my lip, unsure of what to say. I decide to go for it anyway. Henry is my son and if he's been exposed to homophobia I'll let him know that liking someone of the same gender is okay.

"Yes Henry. I really like Regina." I tell him and his little eyes twinkle.

"Are you guys gonna get married?" He asks and my eyes nearly pop out of my head.

"Umm... Not anytime soon okay? Don't get any ideas in that head. We're not even together kid." I tell him and he nods understandingly. We lay for a few more minutes until he slides out of the bed and tugs on my hair.

"Time to get up!" He says cheerfully and I smile at him. How he ended up as a morning person always shocks me.

"Okay okay. Can you let me shower first or do you need breakfast right this minute?" I tease and he smiles as I can see an idea forming in his head.

"Can I watch T.V. until you're done showering?" He asks cheekily and I smile.

"Fine. Go ahead kiddo." I tell him and he jumps up and down happily before running out of my room to go turn on the T.V. I roll out of bed once I hear the volume blaring and pad into the bathroom. I take a quick shower and get ready, letting my hair air dry and putting on some make-up. I walk into the kitchen and get out some eggs and bacon, starting to make breakfast.

"Hen?" I call out to him and he peels his eyes off the screen to look at me. "Can you go get dressed before you eat breakfast?"

"Okay." He says and turns off the T.V. before running upstairs. I scramble the eggs and grill the bacon, his scampering feet running down the stairs a couple minutes later.

"Momma I'm so hungry." He says, sitting at the table.

"I know you are. I am too. But how can we eat without plates and forks?" I ask him and he scrunches his eyebrows together.

"I don't know!" He tells me and then I tap the plastic plates sitting on the counter. He giggles when he realizes what I mean and gets up from his chair to grab them. I bring over the food as he puts the plates on the table and then I dish food on to his plate.

"You eat up and then brush your teeth and then we can do whatever you want too." I tell him and he nods excitedly.

"Okay!" When he's done he runs to the bathroom and I finish eating while reading the paper. _Who knew, I, Emma Swan, would be reading a paper?_

"Momma can we go to see the boats and then go see Gina?" He asks and I take a sip of orange juice before answering.

"We can go see the boats and I'll talk to Regina okay?" I ask him and he nods.

"Okay." He smiles before running over to the couch to watch some more cartoons.

"I'll get ready kiddo and then we can go." I tell him but I don't get any response, he's already too involved in his show. I quickly finish up and get back out, helping him pull on his coat and teaching him to tie his shoes.

"Grab a toque and some mitts okay? It's cold out." I tell him and he nods before running to our winter bin.

"Momma do you want a toque and mitts?" He asks sweetly and I laugh.

"Sure buddy. Grab me my black toque and rough gloves." I tell him. Ever since I bought leather gloves he's called them my 'rough gloves' because of the texture of the leather. He brings my stuff over to me and I pull it all on before dialing Regina's number as I lock the door.

"Regina Mills." She says and I quickly wonder if I've woken her up, her voice slightly sleepy sounding.

"Hey Regina, it's Emma. Did I wake you up?" I ask her and she laughs at my concern.

"No I was just laying in bed being lazy." She assures me and I breathe a sigh of relief.

"Okay good."

"Is there a reason you called?" She asks politely and I tuck the phone in between my ear and shoulder as I help Henry get strapped in.

"Uh yeah actually. Since it's Saturday, it's Henry's day for picking activities and he wanted to go see the boats." I tell her before closing Henry's door and opening my own. I get in and start to work on my seat belt as she answers.

"And what does the boats have to do with me dear?"

"Oh right and then he asked if he could see you." I tell her and she doesn't answer so I jump back in to fill the silence.

"You don't have to say yes. I just had to ask for his sake." I reassure her.

"No I'd like to see you guys. I mean it's already nine o'clock so I'll just get ready. When do you guys want to meet?" She says and I feel warm inside at her quick decision to meet up.

"Granny's at noon?" I ask her.

"Sounds wonderful. I'll see you then." She says and I hang up. I put the phone on the passenger seat and then start the car before driving to the docks.

* * *

I walk into Granny's, Henry's hand clasped in mine. But he lets go as soon as we get in and he weaves through all the people.

"Henry!" I cry out, nervous with my small child running through strange people. It's so crowded in the diner and now I can't see him.

"Henry!" I say again and push through a small group of people. I spot Regina bent down and see Henry animatedly telling her a story. I breathe a sigh of relief and walk over to them. I pause before they see me and watch Regina's eyes crinkle with laughter and shine with happiness. After a few beats she looks up as if she can sense me and she tucks her hair behind her ear as she stands back up to be level with me.

"Hey Emma. You look lovely today." She says, reaching out to touch my hand but stopping when she remembers we're in public.

"Thanks Regina. You do too." I smile and she returns it. I look at her for a few more seconds until I remember that Henry is standing there and is very hungry.

"I've already gotten a booth if you want to come sit?" Regina asks.

"Well since we asked you here that would be nice." I joke and she mock scowls at me before leading us to a booth over on the left side of the diner. I sit down across from her, locking Henry inside so he can't randomly run off like he loves to do in restaurants and stores.

"I have a serious sense of deja vu right now." I say and Regina nods.

"Like the day you first arrived. My, that seems like such a long time ago." She says and I nod, remembering how my eyes were drawn to the powerful brunette. She seemed so intimidating, so secluded. I mean that is true about being secluded but I feel so blessed that she opened up to me. _God, I feel like a love-struck teenager._

"Well it was like two months ago." I say and she just nods.

"Only two months." She says and I look at her curiously but she just avoids my eyes and is saved by Ruby.

"Miss Lucas how are you feeling?" Regina asks, pulling out her "other people" voice, as I like to call it. She seems slightly cold and indifferent with everyone except for me. And maybe Robin, sometimes. A small part of me hopes she uses her "other people" voice with him. He doesn't deserve her at all.

"Lovely actually Mayor Mills. This little peanut is growing fast." Ruby says, fondly touching her bump lightly. "But how are you guys today?"

"I'm great and I want a grilled cheese please! Oh and some cocoa!" Henry pipes up, his voice loud. We all laugh at him and Ruby writes it down.

"I'm doing well dear, thank you for asking. Now, I would love a chicken sandwich, hold the mayo and some water." Regina tells her and I smile at the fact she feels the need to be so proper.

"For sure. And you Ems?" Ruby asks.

"I would love a bacon triple cheese burger with spicy fries and a coke." I say, feeling healthy enough for some grease. Ruby nods before going to give our orders to the kitchen.

"Really dear?" Regina says, shaking her head.

"What?" I say loudly, completely confused to what she could be referring too.

"That's extremely unhealthy. I don't want you to have heart problems or anything Emma." She tells me like a concerned parent.

"I'm touched you care." I tell her, aweing and touching her hand. She blushes and pulls her hand away, scowling at me. I laugh at her and she can't help but laugh along with me until all of a sudden her laughter dies and her smile is wiped off her face.

"What? What's wrong?" I ask quickly and she sits up straighter before glancing at me and then away to whatever is alarming her.

"Regina! I've been trying to get a hold of you." I hear and my face turns into an immediate frown.

"I'm so sorry Robin. I've just been trying to get all my paperwork done before Monday. I didn't want to be super behind when I get back to work." Regina says in order to save her ass.

"Can we talk?" Robin asks and Regina glances at me before opening her mouth to respond but he cuts her off. "Today, Regina. I want to talk today."

"All right fine. Tonight at my place, six o'clock and I'll cook dinner. Is that okay?" Regina asks and I sit there awkwardly, not saying anything.

"Sure. I'll be there at six." Robin says and gives me a long look before exiting the diner.

"Momma, who was that man?" Henry pipes up and I look at Regina, who seems very upset.

"Ask Regina who he was Hen." I tell him and he says her name but she doesn't hear it.

"Gina!" He exclaims exasperatedly and reaches out to touch her arm.

"Yes?" She asks, snapping out of her thoughts before focusing on Henry.

"Who was that guy?"

"My boyfriend Robin."

"Boyfriend? But don't you like Momma like she likes you?" Henry asks and my eyes widen as Regina turns to look at me with an interesting look on her face.

"Your momma and I haven't really talked about that Henry. But right now, I'm with Robin. Does that make sense to you?" She asks and I look at him curiously. His brow is furrowed in thought and he stays like that for a few moments before looking back up at Regina.

"Yeah. I guess so." He shrugs before going back to colouring his place-mat.

* * *

 **thanks for reading :) leave a review if the urge comes!**


	13. Chapter 13

Emma's P.O.V

 _"Who was that guy?"_

 _"My boyfriend Robin."_

 _"Boyfriend? But don't you like Momma like she likes you?" Henry asks and my eyes widen as Regina turns to look at me with an interesting look on her face._

 _"Your momma and I haven't really talked about that Henry. But right now, I'm with Robin. Does that make sense to you?" She asks and I look at him curiously. His brow is furrowed in thought and he stays like that for a few moments before looking back up at Regina._

 _"Yeah. I guess so." He shrugs before going back to colouring his place-mat._

"We need to talk." Regina tells me, mimicking Robin's words.

"What about?" I ask innocently and she scowls at me.

"Very funny Emma. Can I come over tonight?" She asks quietly and I hesitate.

"What about Robin?" I ask her and she is about to answer when Ruby brings out our food. We wait politely for her to place the dishes and leave before she answers me.

"I'll come over after dinner. Apparently _we_ need to talk." She smirks. I glare at her before glancing down at Henry who's devouring his food.

"He has a big mouth." I roll my eyes and she laughs.

"I find him extremely helpful. Very telling." She says formally and I mock her playfully.

"Oh I'm sure you love it." I say sarcastically.

* * *

Regina's P.O.V

I finish up dinner just as the bell rings and I place it in the oven to keep it warm. Knowing Robin he'll ring the bell again simply because "I take too long to open the door". I'm in the foyer when the bell is rung again and I roll my eyes. When I grab the door handle I pause, the idea of breaking up with him playing in my mind. I pull away, wondering if it's what I should do, what I need.

"Regina!" I hear through the door and it snaps me out of my thoughts. I pull open the door with a smile on my face and he looks a little grim. A get a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach but I invite him in.

"Dinner is ready so we can head right on into the kitchen." I tell him and he follows me silently. The tension is thick between us as I take the food out of the oven and he pulls out some plates and cutlery.

"If you want you can get a bottle of wine from the fridge. You remember where the wine glasses are?" I ask him.

"Yes I do. I will grab that." He says stiffly and I nod, putting everything on the table. I hear him pull out the cork on the bottle and he pours us both a glass before bringing it over to me. We both sit down and start to spoon food on to our plates. We begin eating, the silence filling my kitchen. I start to feel like I'm choking on it until I sharply set down my fork.

"Can you please say something?" I spit out and his eyebrows raise.

"All right I see we're getting straight to it then." He says awkwardly, setting down his own cutlery and taking a sip of wine.

"Yes. You are clearly mad at me for some reason." I say and he opens his mouth in what I assume is surprise.

"For some reason? Regina I asked you to stop hanging out with Emma. She very clearly likes you more than a friend and I don't want you to give her the wrong impression." He says and I remember him saying something very similar a few weeks ago in my office.

"And as much as I understand what you're saying, you can't control who I hang out with. Emma is my friend. In case you haven't noticed, I don't have very many." I say sadly, realizing how lonely I am.

"I don't want you to hang out with her Regina. Don't you see how she looks at you? She doesn't see you as a friend. That's why I don't want you to be friends with her anymore. Can't you see how conflicted I am sweetheart?" He asks, looking down at his meal. I feel his words wrap around my throat, slowly controlling me and constricting the blood flow to my brain. I need to be away from him, I need to break up with him.

"Robin I need to say something and-" I start but he cuts me off, his voice choked with tears.

"Regina I love you and I just want to make this work. Please." He says, grabbing my hand. All my words stop and I think about what he says. "I just want us to work again."

"Okay fine. I'll stop hanging out with Emma." I tell him, not knowing where these words are coming from. He smiles bright before leaning over the table to kiss me. One thing leads to another when we find ourselves in my room. He unzips my dress, kissing down my neck and shoulders. I help him pull off his shirt and I start to unbuckle his belt as he slides my dress down my body.

His pants fall to the floor and he steps out of them, lifting me up in his arms. He sets me down on the bed, looking at me with lust in his eyes. He slides off my underwear, lightly trailing his hands over my thighs. I shiver lightly and unhook my bra as he pulls off his underwear, letting them drop to the floor. He climbs over top of me, kissing me. Robin slides into me slowly but I can't think of anything but Emma. How silky her hair is and how it smells like oranges. How smooth her skin would be if I could feel her, all of her. How her lips are firm and yet soft, perfect. How she tastes like mint. It's when I hear Robin meet his climax I fake my own, not believing myself.

"That was amazing babe. I love you." Robin says, pulling out of me and laying beside me on the bed.

"I love you too." I say, the words tasting like bile in my mouth.

"I'd love to stay over night but I have to get up early for work tomorrow." Robin says and kisses me on the forehead. He rolls out of bed and gets dressed.

"That's okay. I feel really tired anyway." I lie to him, pulling the covers over my body.

"See you later Regina." He says, kissing me once more on the lips before leaving my room. As soon as he's gone I get out of bed, pulling on my robe. I wait until I see his car leave before jumping into the shower. I feel like I can't get the touch of his hands off of my body but I force myself to get out of the shower. I then clean up the dishes from the dinner I never actually ate. I shoot Emma a quick text.

Regina: _Is Henry asleep?_

Emma: _Yep!_

Regina: _Is it okay if I come over?_

Emma: _For sure :)_

I make sure everything is put away and I grab my keys. I turn off all the lights and lock the door behind me before driving to Emma's apartment as quick as the speed limit allows. My hair is still wet and I'm wearing a hoodie and yoga pants and I have no make-up on and I feel like a complete mess. When Emma opens the door she looks utterly confused.

"Regina are you okay?" She asks, sounding concerned.

"I don't think so." I say and she steps aside to let me in.

"What's wrong?" Emma says, leading me over to the couch. After one look into her eyes I crack and tell her everything in a moment of weakness.

"I agreed to not see you anymore just because Robin sounded like he was going to cry and then other things happened and I'm freaking out. What is wrong with me?" I say, feeling void of emotion. Emma just frowns, absorbing the information.

"Well for one curious as to why you would ever agree to that? Why wouldn't you just break up with him?" She asks, only sounding curious.

"Because I lost my edge and he got under my skin. I couldn't do it. I just couldn't do it." I whisper to her and she pushes my hair back from my face, running her nails lightly over my scalp as she pushes it back. I lose it suddenly and start crying, my hands reaching up to cover my face. She pulls me closer, pulling my hands down and wrapping them around her. Emma's arms find my waist and she just hugs me, letting me have a breakdown. I don't want to do this in front of her. I'm supposed to be a sophisticated older woman. I'm supposed to be better than this but I can't stop crying.

Once I'm done, I pull away from her and she gets up, grabbing me a box of tissues. I smile sadly and she returns it before going into the kitchen. She starts to make some tea and I wrap a blanket around myself. When she returns a few minutes later I've finally calmed my breathing and wiped away my tears.

"Are you feeling better?" She asks quietly, handing me a cup. I nod quickly, taking a sip of the warm liquid.

"Good. Now, can we please talk about whatever happened tonight? You know, without you babbling and then crying. Because I think it's a little ill-fitting of a mayor." She teases and I smile.

"Alright well Robin came over for dinner tonight and he talked about how he doesn't like me hanging out with you and-" I start but I'm cut off by an angered Emma.

"Wait why?" She sounds hurt and I reach out from under the blanket I'm covered in to grab her hand.

"Just let me speak Emma. Don't interrupt please." I scold her softly and she mimes zipping her lips shut. A child at heart if I've ever seen one.

"But he said he doesn't like me hanging out with you because he said he sees the way you look at me." I tell her and she blushes.

"I look at you the same way I look at everyone." She mumbles, frowning and avoiding my eyes. I laugh softly at her denial and then continue on.

"And that's when I decided I should break up with him because I don't love him. I realize I never loved him, I just thought I did. But then he almost started crying and he spouted a bunch of stuff about wanting us to work and for some reason I couldn't do it. I couldn't crush him Emma." I whisper and she nods, thinking over what I've said.

"Then what happened?" She asks and I swallow the bile in my throat. I just know these words are going to hurt her.

"We had... sex." I say quietly, avoiding her eyes. Silence falls over us and after a while I look back up. She's picking at her nails and I can see unshed tears glistening in her eyes.

"But it meant nothing to me Emma." I say to her, grabbing her hands for emphasis. "To be honest, I was thinking of you the whole time." I blush and she looks up, giving me a small smile.

"Well that does make it better." She admits and I laugh.

"I even faked an orgasm." I tell her and she can't help but burst out laughing. She has to cover her mouth with her hand.

"You are not allowed to be funny! Henry is sleeping." She scolds, slapping my hand. I giggle, trying to stifle my laughter.

"So do you forgive me?" I ask her and she huffs.

"I mean I don't even have the right to forgive you. We're not together. You're still with Robin and we're just _friends_." Emma shrugs, putting quotations around the word friends. I feel guilty for putting her in this position.

"Well if I wasn't such a chicken Robin and I wouldn't be together. Speaking of us..." I trail off, a glint in my eye and she looks nervous.

"What are you getting at?" She says timidly.

"Oh you know." I tease, trailing my fingers up and down her arm. "What Henry said today at Granny's."

"I don't believe I can recall what my big-mouthed son said." Emma tells me, pretending to think hard and feigning stupidity.

"You mean you can't remember how Henry asked me if I like you like you like me?" I ask her, raising an eyebrow at her and she wrinkles her nose at me.

"Oh right. That." She pauses to look at me. "Well?"

"Well what?" I ask, confused.

"What's your answer?" She asks, leaning away from me so she can see me better.

"My answer is yes. I mean I'm not totally sure how much you like me but yes Emma, I really like you." I tell her confidently and she smiles.

"Do you want to be sure of how much I like you?" Emma says cheekily and I nod quickly.

"Please do Miss Swan." I tell her and she leans back in, connecting her lips with mine. After kissing Robin earlier today this is like sitting in front of a fire after being out in a cold winter. I melt right into her arms and she hugs me close. The kiss is sweet and loving and I cherish this key moment with her.

* * *

 **happy SwanQueen moment everyone? you're welcome :)**


	14. Chapter 14

Regina's P.O.V

 _"Do you want to be sure of how much I like you?" Emma says cheekily and I nod quickly._

 _"Please do Miss Swan." I tell her and she leans back in, connecting her lips with mine. After kissing Robin earlier today this is like sitting in front of a fire after being out in a cold winter. I melt right into her arms and she hugs me close. The kiss is sweet and loving and I cherish this key moment with her._

Emma's P.O.V

"Morning sleepyhead." I muse as Regina stirs on my couch. Henry was up at the crack of dawn and it was rough since I spent all night talking with the brunette. Luckily I kept him quiet and got Graham to take him out for breakfast.

"When did I fall asleep?" Regina mumbles, rubbing her eyes. I bring her over a cup of coffee and she takes it with a thank you.

"Right about when we started talking about Henry as a teenager. So about four a.m." I tell her and she laughs in surprise. I sit down next to her and fold my legs under me.

"Good thing it's Sunday. Speaking of the devil, where is Henry? Isn't he normally up at..."

"Eight? Yeah. I got Graham to take Henry out for breakfast and then to hang out for a bit." I tell her and she hums as she takes a sip of her coffee.

"How'd you know how I like my coffee?" She asks and I shrug.

"Just took a guess." I tell her, smirking and she kisses me softly and quickly on the lips.

"Well this is definitely my new favourite way to wake up." Regina comments and I laugh.

"There are a few things we need to talk about before Graham brings Henry back at lunch." I tell her seriously and she nods, setting down her cup.

"Okay. What were you thinking about?"

"What's going on with us? I mean we've established there is an us but what about with Robin?"

"I know this is a lot to ask of you, but I've just realized that I'm gay Emma. I'm not ready to tell everyone, especially since I'm the mayor. Can we please just keep this a secret until I break it off with Robin?" She asks and I nod.

"That sounds reasonable. And trust me, I understand. I may be bisexual but this is the first serious relationship with a girl I've ever started. Plus we'd be the talk of the town and I'm not a fan of being in the spotlight." I say and she smiles happily.

"Good. I'm happy we're both on the same page." Regina says with a sigh relief.

"But will you break up with Robin?" I ask and she looks away.

"Soon. I just need him to calm down a little. I'll stay away from you in public and once he's happy again I'll make sure to crush him." She says with a frown and I give her a sad smile.

"I understand what you're going through. Take your time babe." I say, the word slipping out subconsciously. I blush madly and Regina's eyes widen.

"Babe?"

"I didn't mean to call you that." I laugh nervously and she places her hand on my arm.

"Don't worry Emma, I really liked it." She assures me and I smile.

 _*Knock Knock Knock*_

"That's probably Graham with Henry. You might want to hide if you want to keep this a secret. If he tells Ruby she'll spill it to everyone." I tell her and watch her run into my bedroom as I walk over to the door.

"Hey Graham. Thanks for taking care of Henry for a few hours. It was nice to get some me time in." I tell him as Henry runs in and then upstairs after saying goodbye to his "Uncle Graham".

"Oh yeah no problem! But I got to go so I'll see you tomorrow Emma. Bye!" Graham says with a smile.

"Okay bye!" I say and close the door behind him.

"Henry's in his room and Graham is gone Regina. You can come out now." I say loudly and after a few moments she comes out of the bedroom, still wrapped in a blanket.

"What are you going to say to Henry?" She asks me as she sits back down on my couch.

"Are you kidding me? If he finds out he'd tell everyone he sees." I tell her incredulously and she nods.

"Good point. Sometimes I forget how he's only five and can't keep secrets." She remarks and I laugh, walking over to the kitchen and start to take out the ingredients for omelettes.

"He's a witty one that's for sure." I say.

"I wonder where he gets it from." Regina jokes and I mock hurt.

"For that you are not getting an omelette." I tell her and she gasps.

"You are making me an omelette!?" She says excitedly.

" _Was_ making you an omelette. You aren't invited to eat with me anymore." I sniff and she pouts.

"Please Emma." She whines as I continue making food. I shake my head and she gets up from the couch, walking closer to me.

"Nope. You're too rude to get nice stuff from me." I tell her. She walks over to me and wraps her arms around my waist, sliding her hands under my shirt. She tickles my stomach lightly and I try to get away from her.

"Regina stop." I warn her and she pulls her hands away.

"Would you prefer this instead?" She whispers in my ear before kissing my neck, her hands resting on my hips. I shiver slightly and shake my head.

"Okay fine how about this?" She spins me around roughly, lucky I had let go of the bowl and spoon to instead grip the counter as soon as she touched me. Her lips connect with mine and I have to grab the counter behind me in order to keep my balance. Fire runs through my body at the contact. Her arms slide around to my back and she pulls me closer, her abdomen touching mine. She starts to slip her tongue into my mouth when I hear clattering footsteps and I push her away. I turn around quickly and rearrange my shirt. Regina walks around the island to sit on a stool when Henry loudly makes his entrance.

"Gina!" He exclaims happily and she turns to look at him.

"Henry. How are you doing?" She asks as he climbs on to a stool, huffing with effort by the end of it.

"I'm really good! I got to spend time with Uncle Graham today!" He says and then looks closer at Regina.

"That sounds like fun!" She says and then pauses when she notices how he's scrutinizing her. "What's wrong Henry?"

"Did you have a sleepover with my momma?" He asks and then looks over at me. Regina and I glance at each other quickly before she answers him.

"Well yes but I slept on the couch and your mom slept in her bedroom." She says and he nods in understanding.

"So does this mean you like my momma?" He asks and I bite my lip to stop myself from laughing.

"Yeah Henry I do." Regina says and he looks up at her with a smirk on his face.

"You like her like Ruby likes Graham?" He asks, copying the question he asked me a little while ago.

"You know what Henry? I do." She says and I blush, looking down at my food preparation.

"Really? You promise?" He asks and I look up to watch them.

"Yes Henry I promise." She assures him.

"So you're not going to hurt her?" He says suddenly and I look over at Regina. She looks away from Henry to meet my eyes.

"I would never hurt her Henry." Regina says, her dark eyes locked with mine. I smile at her and she smiles back, making my heart bloom with happiness.

"Thank you." I whisper and she just nods at me.

"Good." Henry declares and then looks over at me. "Momma, Gina likes you and I'm hungry."

"Okay Henry. Let me make lunch and go play castle with Regina." I tell him and his eyes light up.

"Okay!" He exclaims loudly and jumps down from the stool before leading Regina upstairs.

* * *

"Well I should probably head home. I've been avoiding Robin's texts all day and I'm going to need to call him and explain that my phone was off all day." Regina tells me after we eat supper together. Henry was watching cartoons and Regina was helping me clean up.

"Yeah that's a good idea. You can sneak away once it gets a little bit darker." I tell her and she nods.

"Good idea. I hope no one saw my car today."

"Where'd you park?" I ask her and she puts a dish away before answering me.

"Over a block next to an apartment building so it looks like someone else's vehicle."

"Well aren't you smart?" I tease and she sticks her tongue out playfully.

"Why thank you Sheriff Swan."

"Anytime Mayor Mills." I comment as we finish the dishes and she walks over to the front door. I help her out with her coat and turn around to tell Henry she's leaving.

"Bye Gina!" He calls out, not taking his eyes off the T.V.

"Goodbye Henry. And what did we talk about earlier?" She asks him and he pulls his attention away from the T.V. to focus on her.

"You and momma are a secret. I can't even tell Uncle Graham." He says and she smiles, walking back over to him.

"Good boy." She coos before kissing him on the cheek. He smiles happily, not even caring about the kiss. She ruffles his hair before walking back over to me. I make sure his attention is fully on the T.V. before pinning Regina to the door with a passionate kiss. I grab her hair between my fingers and pull lightly, her moaning into my mouth. I slip my tongue against hers and she slides her hands under my shirt, her nails scraping against my back. I pull away after a minute or so and lightly peck her lips once again.

"Thanks for everything Emma. I'll text you." She says, slightly out of breath and I laugh.

"I'll be waiting for it." I wink and she smiles happily. Her hand reaches up to touch my face and she pulls me in for one last chaste kiss before slipping out the door and into the night.

* * *

Regina: _So Robin made plans for the two of us at a ski lodge for a week..._

Emma: _Awe how kind of him to do that for me and you!_

Robin: _For Robin and I you idiot_

Emma: _I know I was being saracastic you idiot_

Regina: _Oh... Well anyway, what should I tell him?_

Emma: _How about... "Sorry babe but I can't leave for a whole week. I am the mayor after all."_

Regina: _Very formal but still "relationship" like with the babe added in... That could work!_

Emma: _Well I am pretty smart ;)_

Regina: _Yes I have to give you credit this time dear._

Emma: _A ski lodge get away sounds like a really good idea though._

Regina: _You think?_

Emma: _Yeah! Being all cold and finding creative ways to warm up ;)_

Regina: _Oh stop while you're ahead._

Emma: _Do you think it's a bad idea?_

Regina: _No but you are getting me hot thinking about it..._

Emma: _Oh am I? Does this mean we're starting to sext?_

Regina: _I have never and will never sext someone Emma so don't even think about trying to start this_

Emma: _Oh really? Have never and will never? I bet I could make you change your mind_

Regina: _Good luck with that. I'm not easily swayed dear._

Emma: _But what if I started talking about the fact that I'm naked right now?_

Regina: _I don't believe you._

Emma: _Really? Why not?_

Regina: _You have a son and you told me that Henry likes to come into your room sometimes at night._

Emma: _Well for your information, I have a lock on my door and he's asleep._

Regina: _Is that so._

Emma: _Oh yes. So back on to the fact I'm laying naked in my bed right this second. All I can think about is you._

Regina: _Emma just stop. I'm not going to answer you anymore. Goodnight dear._

Emma: _Oh come on Regina. Why are you so stubborn?_

 _Regina?_

 _Hello?_

 _Oh fine goodnight then._

* * *

 **Just a little bit of humour to end off the chapter :) I wanted to keep it light and fluffy this chapter so what did you guys think!?**

 **I'm so sorry for being terrible for updating. honest truth: I forgot and I've been crazy busy. here's a double update to make up for it? :)**


	15. Chapter 15

_Emma: Oh yes. So back on to the fact I'm laying naked in my bed right this second. All I can think about is you._

 _Regina: Emma just stop. I'm not going to answer you anymore. Goodnight dear._

 _Emma: Oh come on Regina. Why are you so stubborn?_

 _Regina?_

 _Hello?_

 _Oh fine goodnight then._

* * *

Regina's P.O.V

A few days later I walk into my office and Tink walks in behind me, her arms laden with paperwork. I take off my jacket and hang it up as she places everything on my desk. She leaves and then comes back as I walk over to my desk. As soon as I sit down a cup of coffee is handed to me and I take a sip, letting it wake me up.

"Thank you Tink that will be all." I tell her as I start on the first file about complaints with roads and whatnot. Tink leaves without a word and doesn't come back until an hour later when she knocks on the door.

"Yes?" I ask, not bothering to look up. Being a typical Monday I feel as if I'm drowning. If this is how much paper a small town has I couldn't imagine running a large city.

"You have a package." Tink says and at this I look up.

"Come in." I tell her and she closes the door behind her as she comes into my office. In her hands is a small brown box with a simple cream coloured ribbon tied into a bow on it. She places it on my desk and I pick it up, shaking it lightly.

"Do you know who it's from?" She asks out of child-like curiosity.

"No I do not. Who brought it in?" I ask her and she just shrugs.

"Some kid brought it. Said they couldn't say who gave it to them." Tink comments and I can't help but open it. I pull on the bow and the ribbon comes undone. I'm about to take off the lid when I glance up at Tink with a pointed look.

"Right! I'll be at my desk." She says and rushes out of my office.

I take the lid off the heart-sized box and peer inside, finding a note and a plush jewelry box. I take the note out first and open up the plain white paper, finding messy black penmanship.

 _Regina, just because you managed you take my heart._

It's not signed but I'm sure that's not a mistake. I place the note on my desk and take out the little box, cracking open the lid. A small gasp leaves my lips when I see what's inside. It's a red and dark red heart necklace that's covered in lines of silver studded with diamonds. I can't imagine how much it's cost the person who sent this to me. I immediately put it on, happy I wore a black and white outfit today. I pull out my phone and dial, putting the phone to my ear and hoping they pick up.

"This is Deputy Swan. How can I help you?" Emma's voice comes through the speaker and I smile.

"I've received a package at my office but I do not know who sent it to me."

"Would you like me to find the perp, Mayor Mills?"

"That would be just the thing I was hoping for."

"How would it work for you if I brought them in at lunch?" She asks and I finger the necklace.

"Just perfect. See you then Miss Swan." I tell her and hang up, getting back to work. A knock comes at my door and I check the time, just noticing it's around 12:30.

"Come in." I call and Tink pokes her head in.

"The deputy is here to see you Mayor Mills." Tink tells me with a curious look on her face. I keep my face neutral and nod my head.

"Send her in please and then you may go for lunch dear." I tell her and she nods. A moment later Emma walks in, her long blonde hair curled lightly, the police badge pinned on jeans catching the light. She pulls off her red leather jacket and hangs it on a hook before joining me on the couch with a brown paper bag.

"So did you catch the perpetrator?" I ask her and she smiles to herself.

"Yes indeed I did Miss Mills."

"Well I think you should tell them that I love it. It's beautiful."

"I will make sure the message gets to them." She says and I smile.

"Did you ask where they got it?"

"They told me that they ordered it from an out of town jeweler and got it custom made just for you." Emma tells me and my eyes widen in surprise.

"I'm very touched by their thoughtfulness." I tell her and touch her hand briefly before pulling away. We both glance at the door and then turn back to each other.

"I brought us some lunch." Emma says and reaches into the bag she brought in with her. "A chicken sandwich with no mayo."

"Thank you." I say and take the container from her. We eat quickly with little small talk and just enjoy each other's company until she has to leave before Tink gets back in order to avoid suspicion. She's about to leave my office after pulling on her coat when I stop her.

"Miss Swan?" I call out, since the door is open. She turns back around and I walk up to her, closing the door. She draws her eyebrows together in question when I put my lips to hers, lightly pushing her against the door. Just as she puts her hands in my hair I pull away.

"Have a good day Deputy Swan." I tell her simply and turn back around, sashaying to my desk. I hear a whistle behind me and I look over my shoulder to see Emma staring at my ass. I smirk in delight and I sit down in my chair, facing Emma.

"You too Mayor Mills, you too." She says softly before leaving my office with a smile. As soon as she leaves I get up from my desk and go stand at the window. Once she leaves the building I watch her walk to that hideous yellow bug with a hop in her step. She turns her face up to the window right before she gets into the vehicle and spots me. She smiles broadly at me and I blush, backing away from the window just in case. _That woman is going to be the death of me._

* * *

"Have a good night Tink and make sure to lock the entrance door." I tell her as I close the door to my office, locking it behind me. She pauses her typing to say goodnight and I leave the building. The night is already getting dark as I walk to my car. I get into my vehicle and drive home. Just as I'm getting out of the car my phone rings and I rest it in between my shoulder and my ear after hitting the answer button.

"Hello?" I ask as I grab my purse and a file folder to finish after supper.

"Regina, it's Robin." I hear through the speaker and my blood runs slightly cold.

"Robin, hello." I say simply, juggling all my stuff as I walk to the front door of my house.

"I was wondering if I could come over? I feel like the last time we were together was very rushed." _Yeah, you came, guilt-tripped me into staying in our relationship, and then we had sex. Terrible sex._

"I feel like this isn't a fabulous night. I'm just getting home from the office and I'm too tired for company." I lie, not wanting his company.

"Oh... Okay then. I'll talk to you tomorrow then. I love you." Robin says and then hangs up. I just hang up as well before dropping my bags by my office and then go to the kitchen. I start and finish putting together my meal. I put the prepared food into the oven to cook and I head upstairs to slip into a pair of leggings and a tanktop, leaving my necklace on, before going back downstairs. I pour myself a glass of wine and check my food before heading into the living room. I turn on the T.V. and watch some cooking competition. I feel awfully lonely and decide to text Emma.

Regina: _What are you up to tonight?_

Emma: _Ruby and Graham invited us over for supper. Just getting ready._

Regina: _That sounds lovely. Is Henry getting all dressed up?_

Emma: _Yes actually! He really wanted to wear a tie. Just give me minute._

Regina: _Ok dear._

I wait a few moments until my phone pings and I see that Emma's sent me a picture. I open the message and can't help the enormous smile that breaks out over my face. The picture is of tiny Henry wearing a tiny suit and a tiny tie, a huge smile plastered across his face. I save the picture just as another message comes to me from Emma. It's a picture of the two of them, smiling happily. Emma's wearing a red dress with subtle make-up, her hair straight. She's kneeling next to Henry, their smiles identical. I save this one too.

Regina: _Henry looks adorable :)_

Emma: _Just Henry?_

Regina: _Dear, you're a lot more than adorable_

Emma: _Is that so?_

Regina: _I wish you always dressed like that_

Emma: _Well I mean if you invited us over for a formal dinner I'd dress even hotter than this ;)_

Regina: _Sounds like a promise. You got it._

Emma: _Well I gotta get to driving so I'll text you later. Don't want to have to pull myself over!_

Regina: _Text you later dear_

Emma: _:)_

The timer goes off on my supper and I get up to grab it. When I come back I see another message and open it as soon as I'm settled. It's not a number saved in my phone.

Unknown: _Would this be Regina by any chance?_

Regina: _Yes. Who would this be?_

Unknown: _Your childhood friend. Take a guess._

Regina: _Kathryn Midas?_

Unknown: _Wow that was a good guess._

Regina: _Long time no talk Kathryn. How'd you get my number?_

Kathryn: _It took a little time but I finally found Robin and got it from him._

Regina: _So what did you need me for?_

Kathryn: _I think it's more like "What do you need me for?"_

Regina: _What are you implying?_

Kathryn: _Are you and Robin having problems?_

Regina: _No._

Kathryn: _Oh really? Doesn't seem like you two have been doing very well_

Regina: _And where would you come up with this?_

Kathryn: _Regina, we may not have spoken in years but I still know you like the back of my hand._

Regina: _Is that so?_

Kathryn: _Yes. I'm guessing since I just saw Robin you're home alone, eating some gourmet meal you cooked up to pass time, on the couch, watching T.V._

I look out the windows, wondering if she is actually standing outside. How on earth could this woman still know this much about me? We haven't spoken since we graduated and both left for different colleges. It just happened that we lost touch. My phone buzzes again with another message.

Kathryn: _Are you looking for me out your window Regina? I'm not standing out there._

Regina: _Of course not. Why would I do that?_

Kathryn: _I know you looked hun but don't worry, I won't tell anyone ;)_

Regina: _Mhmm, all right. Anyway, is there some reason you texted me?_

Kathryn: _Uh yeah actually. Do you mind if I come over? I feel like you need a friend right now._

Regina: _You can if you want. I'm not stopping you._

Kathryn: _See you soon!_

I finish eating my supper and take it into the kitchen when there is a knock on the door.

"Regina? Where are you?" Kathryn calls out, and I'm not even surprised that she let herself in.

"I'm in the kitchen Kat." I yell back, the old nickname slipping out.

"Well, well. Would you look at you, taking charge of your parents' house. Is it weird for you to own this place now?" She asks, coming into the kitchen.

"A little yes. It's a big house that's for sure." I tell her and she sits down on a stool. She folds her hands together on the counter and looks at me.

"So how are things with you and Robin?" Kathryn asks and I hesitate.

"Everything is good. Robin and I are fine." I start to fidget and decide to fill the sink with water to occupy myself.

"Fine? That's the Regina word for terrible." Kathryn laughs humorlessly.

"No it's not!" I defend myself and she nods, mocking understanding.

"Oh sure hun. I mean we were only inseparable from the ages of four to eighteen but I don't know you at all? Really?" She says sarcastically and I frown.

"My relationship is none of your business Kathryn." I tell her, not wanting to delve into my relationship with someone I haven't spoken to in so long.

"I think it's all my business since you seem so upset with it." Kathryn spits back and I look up at her.

"Stay out of it." I say and she looks at me with raised eyebrows.

* * *

 **I'm so bad at remembering to update, I'm so sorry you guys**


	16. Chapter 16

_"My relationship is none of your business Kathryn." I tell her, not wanting to delve into my relationship with someone I haven't spoken to in so long._

 _"I think it's all my business since you seem so upset with it." Kathryn spits back and I look up at her._

 _"Stay out of it." I say and she looks at me with raised eyebrows._ I sigh and walk to the foyer, hoping Kathryn will trail behind me. Just as I predicted I can hear her footsteps. I open the door and gesture outside.

"Please leave." I snap and her eyes widen in anger.

"Excuse me?" My former best friend exclaims and I grit my teeth together.

"You have no right to bust in here and tell me what to do." I tell her and she narrows her eyes at me. Her eyes then travel over my shoulder and she bites her lip. I look at her curiously and then glance over my shoulder. Lumbering up the walkway is Robin and I put my fingers to my temple. I do not have time for this.

"Regina? What's going on?" He asks and I notice a bag in his hand but it can wait for now.

"Nothing Robin. I was just escorting my guest to the door." I tell him. He looks at me suspiciously.

"Nice to see you again Kathryn." Robin says politely and she nods at him.

"I guess I'll see you around Regina." She says and I hear the hidden meaning behind her words. This isn't over. She walks away slowly and I can't help but watch as she gets into her car and drive away. Robin nudges me into the house and closes the door.

"I thought I'd surprise you with some wine love. I know you said you didn't want company but I'm your boyfriend, I want to treat you." Robin says and I plaster on a fake smile. We both walk to the kitchen and he finds a cork and some glasses while I take a seat. I'm trying to think of something to talk about with him but all I do I can do is picture Emma.

"Regina?" I hear and shake my head slightly, my hair tickling my neck.

"I'm sorry, you were saying something?" I ask and he pushes a glass of wine towards me.

"I was wondering why Kathryn Midas was here?" Robin asks and I take a sip of wine.

"Well we were quite close when we were younger and she decided to stop by for a quick visit." I keep my answer short, merely enjoying the wine. At least this man can pick wine even if he can't keep up conversation. We keep up a somewhat dull conversation until I can't take it anymore and yawn obnoxiously.

"Are you tired love?" Robin asks and I nod, yawning one more time.

"I guess I must be! Today must be have been busier than I thought!" I lie and he corks the wine for me.

"I'll see you tomorrow then?" Robin suggests and walks around the island to kiss me. I make it long enough to make him happy and short enough so my skin isn't crawling.

"Yeah maybe." I say and walk him to the door.

"Goodnight Robin." I tell him and he nods, looking slightly disappointed at my indifference towards him. As soon as the door closes I go back to the kitchen and uncork the bottle again. I top up my glass and grab my phone before going up to my bedroom. I settle into bed before shooting Emma a text.

Regina: _How was your supper at Graham and Ruby's?_

The response comes only a few moments later and I check the clock to see its ten o'clock.

Emma: _It was really nice! How was your night?_

Regina: _Eventful..._

Emma: _Is that so?_

Regina: _My old friend dropped by and then so did Robin._

Emma: _Huh. How was that?_

Regina: _Well it's like she knew about us. Which doesn't make sense since I haven't spoken to her in a long time._

Emma: _How would she know?_

Regina: _I have no idea. I'm worried._

Emma: _Do you think she'd tell people?_

Regina: _I don't think she'd do anything without confirming her suspicions. But she does have a mouth on her._

Emma: _Well then... How was Robin?_

Regina: _Dull. After I met you everyone else seems to lack personality._

Emma: _Oh stop. I'm blushing :)_

Regina: _Okay dear. But I am still debating on what to do about him._

Emma: _You make it sound as if you have to murder him and dispose of the body._

Regina: _Well whatever works when the time comes..._

Emma: _Regina Mills! Don't forget I'm the deputy around here..._

Regina: _Well dear it's been a long day so I think I'm going to go to bed. Goodnight._

Emma: _Goodnight Regina._

* * *

Emma's P.O.V

A couple weeks later...

As the days turn into weeks, Regina and I develop a comfortable routine. Whenever she's not with Robin we make time to hang out, stealing kisses here and there. Henry seems to know that we're not just friends and I feel as if Ruby suspects something but no one says a word to either of us. The problem is that I'm tired of hiding. We may hide... whatever we are, but I'm sick of everything. Every time Robin sees me near Regina he glares at me and I hate him, to put my feelings lightly. I am happy that I'm seeing more and more of the Regina Mills everyone would be able to see if only her mother hadn't trained her from a young age. I found out that she loves to wear sweatpants and not just the suits and dresses she wears around everyone else, her favourite junk food is chocolate cake, and her laugh is contagious. Sometimes it's hard to get the laugh out of her though.

I'm driving down main street one day after work, Henry strapped into the back seat and he's singing along to the kiddie CD coming out of the speakers. I pull into a parking spot in front of the ice cream shop and luckily it's abandoned inside.

"We're here Henry." I tell my son and his eyes light up once he sees where I've taken him.

"Are we getting ice cream momma!?" He exclaims and I laugh lightly.

"Yes we are!" I say and get out to help him unbuckle his seat belt. He grabs my hand and we walk inside, a hop in his step. The bell dings as we enter the parlor and the owner comes out a moment later.

"Hello Emma, it's nice to see you." Ingrid says, the older blonde flashing me a wide smile.

"You too Ingrid." I tell her, smiling back. Ingrid acts like my mother whenever I see her. She's just so friendly.

"What would you like?" She asks and I look down at Henry.

"Tell Ingrid what you want kiddo." I prompt and he steps up onto a stool to look into the case holding all the ice cream flavours.

"I'd like rocky road please!" He says happily, excited for this treat.

"I'd like some Rolo ice cream please." I tell her after Henry has received his and she gives me a little extra bang for my buck.

We sit down at a table just as the bell dings at the door and I look up to see Regina walk through the door. Ingrid looks surprised to see the mayor walk into her shop but covers it with a small smile.

"Hello Mayor Mills. I believe this is the first time I've seen you in here." She says and Regina gives her an unemotional smile.

"Well I'm not a huge fan of ice cream but I decided to treat myself." Regina says, sounding cold. Ingrid nods quickly.

"What can I get you then?"

"Some chocolate ice cream in a bowl would be nice." Regina tells her and Ingrid quickly scoops perfect spheres of ice cream into a small plastic bowl. Once she's paid she walks over to mine and Henry's table in her dark red stilettos. Ingrid eyes the three of us before walking into the back of the shop and leaving us alone in the ice cream parlor.

"Emma." Regina says in greeting, her face set in a cold mask. I glance out the window and see people passing by. Once they are gone, she gives my hand a squeeze under the table and we begin talking about our days. Eventually we finish our ice cream and I can tell Henry is getting bored.

"Want to come over for a little bit? I can make us supper." I offer and Regina nods. We exit the shop and get into our respective vehicles before she follows me to mine and Henry's apartment. Once inside, Henry ditches his coat and shoes at the door and races upstairs to his room. I help Regina with her coat and she takes off her daunting heels. I hear her crack her toes and laugh a little.

"What are you laughing at?" She asks, quirking an eyebrow at me.

"You and your heels. They clearly hurt your feet and yet you wear them every day. Why?" I state as she settles herself on the couch and I leave her to get us a drink. I treat her like a damn queen. And yet, I love doing it.

"I'm a professional dear. I have to look the part." She says as if my question is ridiculous and I'm stupid for asking her. I roll my eyes at her.

"So how's Robin?" I ask, nosy as usual. With Regina, I can be myself. I can be curious and relaxed and open. I sit down next to Regina and hand her a glass. She takes a sip as I lay down, stretching my legs across her lap. She twists towards me slightly, resting her arms on my legs.

"He's fine." Is all she says and I take a deep breath.

"Regina, when are you going too-" I start when she cuts me off.

"Emma, we've been over this. I just don't have it in me yet to break up with him. We've been together for so long people would wonder why I've abandoned such a stable relationship. I'm just not ready to come out yet." Regina sighs.

"Regina you don't understand what this is like for me. I want to be with you without hiding, okay? I want to be able to kiss you in public and hold your hand." I tell her softly and I see her set her jaw.

"Well Emma you don't understand what this is like for me! I'm stuck pretending to love someone I don't love and you think this will just be a piece of cake for me." Regina snaps. She sets her glass down on the coffee table before pushing my legs off her lap and standing. She begins to pace and I know I've started an argument but I just can't stop.

"Except you can end all of this Regina! You are the only one who can put a stop to the hiding and you know it. Why are you being so stubborn?" I ask her, standing myself. Whenever Regina argues with someone she tries to be bigger than the person to intimidate them in order to win. It's not going to work this time. I'm sick of this situation.

"It's not that easy Emma! If you were in my position I highly doubt you would be able to just break up with your long time boyfriend and come out of the closet!" Regina exclaims, her voice raising ever so slightly.

"What's that supposed to mean? You don't think I have the courage to do that?" I spit, her words cutting me.

"No. I don't okay? I think you'd never do it for me." Regina snaps. My mouth opens in surprise but no words come out.

"I know you've had guys ask you out on dates. I know you've been out on them too. If you were going to eventually come out you wouldn't hide behind dates." Regina states and my mind tries to find words.

"You break up with Robin and I'll stop going out on dates Regina!" I yell and she glares at me.

"I thought you understood Emma. I thought you cared about me." Regina whispers, a tear rolling down her cheek. I do nothing but stare at her and she does the same.

"I'm done hiding Regina. I wish you could get over yourself." I tell her finally and she glares at me.

"Don't speak to me ever again." She spits before grabbing her shoes and coat and leaves the apartment, slamming the door shut. I fall to my knees once I realize what I've done and start crying, unable to control my emotions. _You're an idiot Emma. A big, loud-mouthed idiot._

* * *

 **please comment and maybe follow :)**


	17. Chapter 17

Emma's P.O.V

 _"I thought you understood Emma. I thought you cared about me." Regina whispers, a tear rolling down her cheek. I do nothing but stare at her and she does the same._

 _"I'm done hiding Regina. I wish you could get over yourself." I tell her finally and she glares at me._

 _"Don't speak to me ever again." She spits before grabbing her shoes and coat and leaves the apartment, slamming the door shut. I fall to my knees once I realize what I've done and start crying, unable to control my emotions. You're an idiot Emma. A big, loud-mouthed idiot._

* * *

It's been a week since the fight with Regina and I'm absolutely miserable. I can tell Graham keeps sending me side looks at work but I just ignore him. I don't want to talk to anyone about this. Besides, I can't without ruining Regina's secret. I'd never do that to her. I mean god do I ever want to but there is no way I'd betray her like that. I've already hurt her enough.

Henry has picked up on my mood and avoids me around the house. It pains me even more that I've pushed him away but he keeps asking me about "Gina" and when he'll see her again. When he came downstairs after she stormed out and found me crying he pushed his way on to my lap and hugged me. He didn't bother to ask what was wrong because he knew I wouldn't tell him. At only five years old this kid is smarter than his mother. I mean hell, I'm twenty-three and no genius and yet my kid is wise beyond his years.

"Emma? Can you take this down to town hall please?" Graham asks me quietly, putting a folder on my desk. I just stare at it for a few minutes and he says my name again.

"Fine." I say quietly, not wanting to upset him. He gives me a sad smile but I just ignore it. I don't have the energy to argue with him. I've been refusing to leave the station during work hours but I need some air. Graham drops the cruiser's keys on my desk but I just walk away from my desk, leaving the keys to sit beside the computer. I put on my toque and gloves after shrugging on my winter coat and leave the building.

Fortunately the air doesn't bite and I'm glad I'm able to walk in order to clear my head. If I'm going to have to see that woman I need to think clearly. I happily endure the winter chill, and it reminds me that Christmas is coming soon. Henry hasn't said much about it but I've seen the commercials on T.V. and I've seen the missing pictures from the catalogs that show up at the door.

When the town hall comes into sight my footsteps stumble slightly and I stop where I am. A few people walking on the street give me strange looks but I don't pay them any attention. I take a deep breath in before I walk up the pathway to the door and enter. I take off all my winter gear, finding the temperature inside the building quite warm. I walk up the stairs slowly, finding that the closer I get the more my chest constricts. I see Tiffany at her desk and when she looks up she gives me a warm smile.

"Emma! It's nice to see you." Tiffany says and I nod, tight-lipped.

"You too." I say quietly.

"Are you here to see Mayor Mills?" She asks and I quickly shake my head.

"I'm just here to drop this off." I tell her and she gives me an odd look. I usually go in to give Regina her papers so I know she must be confused.

"Oh okay. I guess I'll just give them to her myself?" Tiffany suggests and I nod.

"Thanks." I say sincerely and hand her the papers. But my luck sucks and before I've even taken a step away from Tiffany, Regina's door opens. I snap my head up as she walks out of her office and I'm frozen to the spot. She doesn't notice me until she turns around and when she does she stops mid-stride. Her beautiful brown eyes widen and her lips part.

"Emma." She utters my name and tears involuntarily spring into my eyes. I push them away and neither one of us move.

"I'm going to leave you two alone..." Tiffany says quietly, getting up from her desk and walking away. I don't watch her go, my eyes locked on to Regina's. Neither of us says a word and I wouldn't even know how to start a conversation.

"Regina, are you ready for lunch?" I hear from behind me, and I can recognize that voice anywhere.

"Yes." She says simply, finally breaking eye contact with me. She looks over my shoulder and I do the same, finding Robin waiting. He looks at me with thinly veiled contempt but I just show nothing. _I feel nothing._

"Emma." He says, nodding as a hello. I give him a sad smile and he holds his hand out. I see a gloved hand take it and I close my eyes in order not to see them together. I open them in time to see Regina glance back at me over her shoulder, but I can't read her face.

It's like I'm a stranger again.

* * *

The next time I run into her it's three days later and it's at Granny's. I was walking in to grab a coffee before work and she was leaving. The door opens with a jingle and I look up, just as she walks out. The wind blows her hair out of her face and she pulls her designer jacket tighter around her body. I just stop and stare at her, completely in awe of her beauty. I never thought one person could mean so much to me. I don't move and she's busy staring at her phone so she runs into me.

"Oh I'm sorry I didn't..." She stops when she realizes it's me and I just open and close my mouth like a fish.

"It was my fault." I suddenly blurt out and I see something change in her eyes. Regina spares me one tiny smile before she walks past me and into her car. I turn to watch her go and she looks at me one last time before driving away.

Maybe I can fix this.

* * *

I'm sitting on a bench watching Henry play when I see a couple walking down the pathway that cuts all the way through the park. I ignore them until I hear the woman laugh and my head snaps to the side. It's Regina and Robin. I look away from them and hope they don't see me. All of a sudden I hear Henry and I see the two pause their walking.

"Momma! Watch!" He yells to me and I know I have to respond or else he'll just yell louder.

"I'm watching Henry!" I yell back and still Robin and Regina aren't moving. I look over at them and see she's staring at Henry. When she looks at me I just smile at her. Then Robin leans over to whisper in her ear, his hand tightly grasping hers and she just looks away from me before they start walking again.

Maybe I can't fix this.

* * *

I'm lying in bed, staring at the ceiling when the bed dips beside me.

"Mom?" I hear, and the voice sounds so serious. My head falls the side on the pillow and Henry is sitting there, looking at me.

"Yeah kid?" I ask, my voice weak from misuse.

"Are you okay?" The question is so simple and yet I have no answer. I don't know what to tell him. He's only five. He doesn't understand broken hearts. But I can't lie to him.

"No." I tell him and his face crumples. He slowly crawls closer to me and burrows into my side. His hands fist in my shirt and his face presses into my neck. I can't hold it in anymore and I break into sobs, my body heaving. Henry lets go of my shirt to hug me tightly. He lets me cry for minutes on end, my tears never-ending. When a break in my sobs finally comes Henry pipes up.

"Why you so sad?"

"I don't think you'd understand kid." I tell him and he lifts his head to look at me.

"I'm smart." He says simply, and I give a small laugh.

"Okay fine. Let's see if you get it." I say while sitting up. He scrambles up with me, finding himself a seat on my lap. I push his hair back and admire his small features. I see the innocence in his face and I love him for it.

"You see Henry, when you get older bad things will happen. They can happen even if you try your hardest to be good and work hard."

"What bad thing happened to you?" Henry interrupts, curiosity getting to him easily.

"If you don't interrupt, I'll tell you." I say and he pushes his lips together.

"I started to care for someone and they left me."

"Why did Gina leave you?" Henry asks. I open my mouth in surprise and he smiles.

"I made a really bad decision. I started a fight and she left me." I whisper.

"Why would you start a fight?"

"Because I was tired of hiding. All I wanted was to be with her but she couldn't do that for me." I don't know why I'm telling him all this. It probably isn't a good decision. But I can't tell anyone else.

"Why couldn't she?"

"In our world, some people don't think it's okay for two guys to be together or two girls to be together. So when people care for someone who is the same gender as them, they might hide it so no one talks about them."

"But that's just dumb. Is Gina hiding her feelings?" He asks and I nod my head. Tears spring into my eyes again.

"I want to be with her Henry but she is too afraid to be with me."

"You need to make her not afraid." He shrugs and I laugh humorlessly. He thinks it's that easy.

"Henry it's really not that simple." I say and he gets up and runs out of my room. Out of curiosity I follow him and find him in the living room. He grabs out paper and a crayon and passes them to me.

"What are these for?" I ask him. He grabs my hand and leads me to the table.

"We need to make a list of ways for you to get Gina back." He says, a look of determination on his face. I truly smile for the first time in days and I feel that I can get her back. Robin doesn't deserve her.

* * *

 **so even though this story was supposed to be super fluffy I had to add some angst because you know, plot-line.**

 **thank you for the reviews, and for sticking with this story even when I forget to update... I wanted to reply to the reviews but it wouldn't let me on my phone.**


	18. Chapter 18

Emma's P.O.V

 _"I want to be with her Henry but she is too afraid to be with me."_

 _"You need to make her not afraid." He shrugs and I laugh humorlessly. He thinks it's that easy._

 _"Henry it's really not that simple." I say and he gets up and runs out of my room. Out of curiosity I follow him and find him in the living room. He grabs out paper and a crayon and passes them to me._

 _"What are these for?" I ask him. He grabs my hand and leads me to the table._

 _"We need to make a list of ways for you to get Gina back." He says, a look of determination on his face. I truly smile for the first time in days and I feel that I can get her back. Robin doesn't deserve her._

Day One of Operation Gina

Henry and I created a list of different ways of me to get Regina back. He wanted to name it so "Operation Gina" became a go. I woke up full of vigor this morning, showering and dressing to the nines. I wore my best jeans and a flowing blouse. Who says a deputy can't look feminine?

I make sure my hair is curled nicely and I wear my best boots as well as throw on a bit of make-up. I drop Henry off at school and grab two coffees from Granny's, one black and one with two cream and four sugars. I drive to town hall and make sure she's in her office before going inside.

"Emma, how are you?" Tiffany asks, her smile just making me happier.

"I'm feeling pretty damn good Tiffany. Can you do me a favour?" I ask her and she nods.

"Emma, call me Tink. But of course! What is it?"

"Give this to Regina once I'm gone." I say, setting down a coffee and setting a note on top.

"Okay." Tink says, giving me a weird look. I go to turn around but pause.

"Oh and don't tell her it was from me."

"Will do Emma." She smiles. I return it and leave quickly. Before getting into my car I glance at her windows. I see her back is against the window and she's looking into her office. I get in my car and drive away.

Regina's P.O.V

It's been eight days since the fight in Emma's apartment and I'm miserable. But I need to get over her. It's clear that Robin is my happy ending and I'll never get to be with her. I don't really want to be with her anyway.

I'm sitting in my office twiddling a pen in between my fingers when I hear voices out in the hallway. One of them is definitely Tink and the other sounds like Emma. It's definitely female but I don't have the energy to get up and check. When the voices fade I get up to go ask Tink but I stop. I feel like I need coffee. The days are just dragging. I lean against the window, feeling the chill against my body through the glass. After a few minutes of silence a knock comes at the door.

"Come in." I call, still leaning against the window. It opens slowly and Tink pops her head in.

"Hey Tink. What do you need?" I ask, welcoming her in. I've been fairly cold this week and I think I've scared her a bit.

"I was bringing this for you." She says, holding a coffee cup up for me to see. A small smile graces my face and I gesture for her to come closer.

"Oh you are my life saver. I really needed coffee." I say and she walks over before handing it to me.

"Well actually it's not from me." She says and I look at her curiously.

"Who's it from?" I have my suspicions but I'm not very sure.

"All I can tell you is that they left this with the coffee." Tink tells me before handing me a folded piece of paper. My intrigue is certainly stimulated.

"Well all right then. Thank you for bringing it in." I say and she nods before leaving the room. Once the door clicks shut I take a sip from the coffee; two cream, four sugars. Only one person knows I like sweet coffee. I open the note and find a familiar messy scrawl that tugs my heart strings.

 _Regina,_

 _I miss you._

 _Love,_

 _Emma._

The simple words just about bring tears to my eyes and then I notice crayon at the bottom.

 **Hi Gina! -Henry**

The tears can't be stopped when I see this and I end up sitting at my desk. I haven't felt anything in over a week. After leaving Emma's I felt anger and then when it dissipated there was nothing. It was as if I was a shell, going through the motions purely because I had too. But now, knowing she was thinking of me, I couldn't do anything to stop the flood of emotions. As soon as I saw Henry's add-on the dam broke.

"I miss you too." I whisper, my fingers lightly touching the writing on the note.

I cry for an hour, making sure to lock the door so Tink doesn't come in. I can't have anyone see me this way. Once I've finally calmed down I make sure to drink the rest of my delicious coffee and I get through the day without breaking down again.

I go home that night and prepare a meal for Robin since he's coming over. I make sure the timer is set before going upstairs to make sure I look presentable.

I'm just fixing my make-up when I see the note sitting on my dresser. I read it over again before tossing it in the garbage. I can't be fawning over her when my boyfriend is coming over. The doorbell rings just as I'm thinking of him and I make my way downstairs.

"Robin." I state, giving him a smile. He leans in and kisses me and I let him in.

"Regina, how was your day?" He asks and we both walk to the kitchen.

"It was really good actually." I admit and he looks slightly surprised. I guess I have been emotionless all week.

"That's good. What did you do?" Robin asks and I pour us both some wine.

"Just some paperwork and a meeting." I tell him and he nods. He begins to tell me about his day and I try to enjoy our time. I mean it's okay, as usual, but that's all. It's merely mediocre.

"Goodnight love." Robin says and then I close the door behind him. I make my way upstairs to take off all my make-up and get into my pajamas. I relax into bed and let out a long sigh once I've finally relaxed into the plush mattress. I fall asleep quickly.

* * *

 _"Regina!" I hear from behind me and I spin around. Emma is running towards me and I stop where I am. She catches up to me, her blonde hair flying in the wind._

 _"Emma?" I question and she grabs on to my arm._

 _"Regina, I decided I can't hide anymore. I love you and I want to be with you." She admits to me. My mouth drops open and I take a step back._

 _"Regina!" Comes from somewhere else and I turn. Robin is walking down the path towards me._

 _"Robin?" I ask. I'm so confused as to what's happening right now._

 _"Regina you can't be with her. You know the town will kick you out of the mayoral spot and will criticize you without remorse." Robin says, voicing all of my worries. A hand grabs my arm and spins me around._

 _"No, Regina. Don't listen to him. He's wrong, so wrong. Everyone in this town loves you." Emma pleads, her hand gripping my arm to make her point known. Another hand grabs on to my other arm and I'm pulled to look back at Robin._

 _"Regina, you know I'm right. Everyone will hate you. You know being gay is wrong." Robin spits. Emma lets go of me and steps up to Robin. She pushes his chest and he lets go of me to push her back. She shoves him hard and he retaliates. Emma ends up on the ground. I see a fire in her eyes as she gets back up. She swings at him and I can't do anything but watch as he fights back. I go to stop them but I can't move. I look down at my feet and they are covered in concrete. I try pulling my feet free but nothing will work. I look back up as Robin hits Emma in the face before throwing her to the ground. A swift kick is delivered to her abdomen and I hear her cry out._

 _"Stop!" I scream. But he won't. I keep yelling at him and screaming but he won't stop. There's nothing I can do. Finally he walks away and my feet are finally free. I run forward to Emma and kneel down beside her. She's not even recognizable and I run my finger over her swollen and busted lips._

 _"Emma?" I say, touching her arm but she doesn't move. I bring my head to her chest and I start to panic when I can't hear her heartbeat._

 _"Emma!" I exclaim. I feel for her breath on my hand but there is none. I go to grab my phone to call 911 but a hand grabs mine. I look up into Robin's face and he gives me a sweet smile._

 _"Come on love. It's time to go home."_

 _"But Emma-"_

 _"Isn't a problem anymore. I dealt with it." He tells me. He pulls me up and kisses me. I try to pull away but I can't._

 _"Robin I need to help her." I beg, trying to get away from him. Robin just holds me close and doesn't let me move._

 _"Let's go home Regina." He says before dragging me away from Emma's lifeless body._

 _"No!" I scream, starting to cry but his hand is like a vice. I scream and scream but he never lets go._

"No!" I cry out, waking myself up.

"It was a dream?" I whisper, running my hands over my face. They come away wet and I realize I was crying in my sleep. I thank god it was only a dream and on impulse I text Emma.

Regina: _Are you okay?_

Emma: _Why wouldn't I be? And you do realize it's the middle of the night right?_

Regina: _Yeah. I'm sorry._

Emma: _It's okay._

I put my phone down and lay there for a few minutes until I realize I'm not going to fall back asleep. Since it's not actually the middle of the night but instead five a.m., I decide to get up to get ready. I'm in the shower and putting shampoo in my hair while thinking about the dream. It was a grotesque representation of my thoughts. But I need to let Emma stay dead, as terrible as that is. I can't hurt her the way Robin did. I can't let everyone hurt her.

"I can't let her be hurt." I whisper into the water stream, determined to stay away from her.

* * *

 **thank you all for your input! I really appreciate all the reviews and follows :) you guys are wonderful**


	19. Chapter 19

_Regina's P.O.V_

 _I'm putting shampoo in my hair and thinking about the dream. It was a grotesque representation of my thoughts. But I need to let Emma stay dead, as terrible as that is. I can't hurt her the way Robin did. I can't let everyone hurt her._

 _"I can't let her be hurt." I whisper into the water stream, determined to stay away from her_.

* * *

Emma's P.O.V

Day Two of Operation Gina started early after Regina sent me an oddly cryptic message. I don't get how I wouldn't be okay at five o'clock in the damn morning. But I brush it off. I mean I guess it shows she still cares for me. I go to Game of Thorns with Henry and he helps me pick out some flowers for Regina. Moe gives me a slightly odd look when I won't tell him who they are for but seriously it's none of his business.

I drop him off before going to her mansion on Mifflin and dropping two coral and two lavender roses on the doorstep. I then drive to town hall and put two more of each colour under her wind shield wipers. I go upstairs and see Tink sitting at her desk. She hears my foot steps and looks up.

"Hey-" She starts talking but I put my finger to my lips. "Emma." She whispers.

"Hey Tink." I greet, keeping my voice low.

"Why are we whispering?" She asks, her voice completely curious.

"Is Regina in?" I ask and she shakes her head.

"She went for a walk, claimed she needed coffee from Granny's and to clear her head. Why?" Tink states.

"Just wanted to put stuff on her desk." I tell her and she eyes the flowers.

"You can go in and put them there then." She says and I smile.

"Thanks." I say sincerely and open her door. Even though Tink says she's gone I don't want to take any chances. When I see it's actually empty I walk over and quickly place the four roses on her desk. I take a peak out the window and see her walking back up towards the building and through the front door. I slightly panic and run to the door of her office. Tink looks at me in alarm and I put my fingers to my lips once again.

"I was never here." I say quickly and she nods in understanding before I run to the bathroom. I stay in there but stand right at the door so I can hear. Her heels click down the hallway and her voice carries clearly into the bathroom.

"Did anyone come in while I was gone Tiffany?" I hear her ask and there is a pause. I hold my breath.

"No Miss Mills. No one came by." Tink lies and I let out the breath I was holding.

"Thank you. If you need me I'll be working in my office." Regina says and I hear the door to her office close. I open the door to the bathroom quietly and slowly before peaking my head out. The hallway is empty and so I walk out. I mouth "thank you" to Tink and she smiles at me. I leave quickly. I spare a look at her window and see her holding the roses in her hand. I just lean against my bug, hoping she'll turn around. It's as if she can feel my gaze upon her because she turns around suddenly.

Regina looks out over the front yard of the town hall until she finds herself looking at the bug and finally at me. Her mouth parts into an "O" and she glances down at the roses still clasped lightly in her hands. When she looks back up I just smile before waving and getting into my car and leaving.

* * *

Regina's P.O.V

I walk into my office after talking with Tink. She seemed oddly suspicious but I just ignore it. She's an... interesting young girl. I take off my coat and hang it up before walking to my desk, absentmindedly sipping at my coffee and looking through my schedule on my phone. I sit down and lock my phone to see roses laying on my desk.

"What the hell?" I say to the air and pick them up. There are two coral and two lavender roses, their petals extremely soft. I get up and just stand there until I have a feeling of someone watching me. I turn around slowly and look out over the lawn until a hideous yellow bug catches my eye. The blonde woman leaning against the vehicle is staring at me and my mouth gapes open in realization as I glance at the roses. By the time I look up she's at the driver's side and she just waves at me before getting in and driving away. I get out a tall glass and fill it with water before putting them in. I admire the gorgeous colours before I remember Tink said no one came into my office. I go to my desk and then pick up the phone.

"Tiffany, can you come into my office please?" I ask and then put the phone back down. The door opens a moment later and she pops her head in.

"You need me Miss Mills?" Tiffany asks innocently and I gesture for her to come in.

"So no one came in when I was out?" I question her again and she bites her lip.

"Nope. No one at all." She tells me, avoiding eye contact.

"Then tell me Tiffany, how did these get here?" I ask her, motioning to the flowers. She looks at me with her mouth open and she stammers slightly.

"Well Miss Mills, you see, uhh... I umm..." She starts.

"Tink I'm just messing with you. I know it was Emma." I let her off and she sighs.

"She told me not to tell you." Tink defends herself and I shake my head.

"Of course she did." I laugh. I take another long gulp of coffee and she's still sitting there.

"Can I ask you a question?" She asks and even though I have a feeling I know what's coming I nod.

"Go ahead."

"Are you and Emma, together?" Tink prods.

"No." I tell her, because it's true. We're not.

"Does she care about you?"

"I believe so." I say and she looks to be deep in thought.

"Do you care about her?" This is when I can't speak. If the words come out, it makes it real.

"I don't know." I finally get out and Tink looks at me with sympathy.

"Well I hope you figure it out." She tells me and gets up to leave me with my thoughts.

 _I hope I do too_.

* * *

When I leave the office my stomach is rumbling and Tink is gone. I find four more roses under my wind shield wipers and I smile happily. _No stop it Regina. You can't let Emma get into your head_. I stop by Granny's because I don't have the energy to cook tonight. Once I'm at home I find another four roses on my door step and I need to beat away the smile about to break out. Once I place the roses in a vase I pull out my phone and grab utensils before taking a seat at the table. I start eating and then I research the meaning behind colours of roses.

 **Coral roses represent desire.**

 **Lavender roses represent love at first sight and enchantment.**

I'm floored buy her thoughtfulness and I look over at the flowers again. Who knew the shy, young blonde would be so romantic. But I can't be with her. I don't want to break up with Robin.

"Emma Swan, why are you making this so difficult?" I grumble to myself and then I continue eating, my thoughts burning a hole in my brain.

* * *

Emma's P.O.V

I follow Regina home so I can see her face when she notices the flowers on her doorstep. I know I sound completely and utterly creepy but I can't help myself. The smile on her face is enough for me and I drive away before she can see me. I have a good feeling and I think I could get her to come back to me. I drive over to Ruby and Graham's to pick up Henry before we go home.

"What do you want for supper kid?" I ask him as we head into the apartment.

"Can we have chicken?"

"Of course. How about you go upstairs and play while I cook?" I ask him and he smiles. As soon as the door opens he runs upstairs and I can hear his box of blocks clatter to the floor. I pull out the ingredients and begin cooking when my phone goes off. I make sure everything is okay before I grab it out of my pocket. When I see the message is from Regina my heart flutters.

Regina: _Miss Swan._

Emma: _So formal?_

Regina: _I was left flowers today._

Emma: _And?_

Regina: _They were beautiful._

I smile happily and breathe a sigh of relief. I check the food before replying.

Emma: _I'm glad you liked them._

Regina: _I also looked up the meanings behind the colours of the roses._

Emma: _Did you now?_

Regina: _I got some very interesting results._

Emma: _What were these results?_

Regina: _Coral roses represent desire and lavender roses represent love at first sight and enchantment._

Emma: _Well well. Those are very interesting indeed._

Regina: _You gave me the roses and I'm so confused._

Emma: _Why are you confused?_

Regina: _I'm with Robin, Emma! I don't have the energy to be pursued by two people._

Emma: _Then leave him so the only one pursuing you is me._

I press send and I get so worried. What if I push her again?

Regina: _Emma, I can't._

My heart drops.

Emma: _Why not?_

Regina: _You know I'm afraid. I can't be with you._

Erase that. My heart didn't drop, it was crushed.

Emma: _Fine._

I turn off my phone and put it in my room. As much as it hurts to hear the words, I know I can't give up. Since she was going to be stubborn, so was I.

* * *

A few hours later after I've put Henry to bed and cleaned up the apartment, I throw myself onto my bed. I've been occupying myself so I don't think about the phone I threw in here a while ago. It's staring me in the face and I'm afraid to turn it back on. I want to be with her but I can't stand rejection. She's turned me down so many times now. I know it's because of Robin and her fear of coming out of the closet.

I walk out of my room and get myself a drink. But after a glass of water doesn't work I decide it's time for some alcohol. I don't know why I'm afraid. I know it doesn't matter what it says. I won't stop trying to get her. I pull out my hidden bottle of vodka and just take a swig from the bottle. I cough a little as it burns its way down my throat. I take a deep breath and then take another sip. After the fourth gulp goes down I decide it's time to face the dreaded phone. I go back in and turn it on, watching the apple sign flash as it boots up.

As soon as I get service again I get five messages from Regina and one from Ruby. My courage still slightly wounded I open up Ruby's first.

Ruby: _Hey girl! It's time we get together and have a girls' night! You, me, and Snow. Let me know when you're free!_

Emma: _For sure. I'll get back to you with dates tomorrow :)_

The notification beside Regina's name is taunting me and I take a few more sips. My head is fuzzy and I simply don't care anymore.

Regina: _Emma, please understand._

 _I want to be friends._

 _You know I can't break up with Robin._

 _Please answer me._

 _Fine, don't answer me. But just so you know, this isn't about you._

* * *

 **thank you for reading! I'm so thankful for you guys :)**


	20. Chapter 20

_Emma's P.O.V_

 _The notification beside Regina's name is taunting me and I take a few more sips. My head is fuzzy and I simply don't care anymore._

 _Regina: Emma, please understand._

 _I want to be friends._

 _You know I can't break up with Robin._

 _Please answer me._

 _Fine, don't answer me. But just so you know, this isn't about you._

* * *

Emma's P.O.V

Day three of Operation Gina began with a terrible hangover. I spot the empty bottle of vodka laying beside the bed and groan. Why the hell did I drink so much again? I throw the covers back and slam my hand down on my alarm clock. I'm so frustrated. But then again, frustration fuels me.

I shower and dress comfy and get Henry up and ready as well. I have to remind him a few times to quiet down since my head is clearly trying to kill me. I brew some strong coffee and give Henry some cereal before grilling myself a greasy grilled cheese with bacon.

"Momma are you okay?" He asks, quietly this time.

"Yes Henry. I just have a headache." I tell him.

"Are you still gonna try and get Gina back?"

"Of course. What's next on the list kid?" I ask him and he puts his empty bowl in the sink before running to get the list I taped to the fridge for him.

"You got her flowers already?" He asks me and I nod. He crosses off that item with a crayon and puts his finger on the next one.

"Give her a CD." He reads out carefully and looks up at me with a proud smile on his face.

"Good job kid!" I high five him and he smiles even wider.

"Go brush your teeth and then pack your backpack. Your lunch is right here." I tell him and put his lunch kit on the kitchen table. He nods quickly and runs to the bathroom to brush his teeth. I down some water along with an Advil before brushing my teeth and shrugging on a coat. Henry comes out of his room dressed and stuffs his fairy tale book into his backpack along with his lunch.

"Mom I'm ready." He says happily and I bless every higher power that he loves school.

"Alright kid. I need to grab my phone and then we can head out." I tell him and he starts to pull on his shoes as I go into my room. I pick it up and notice Regina has left me another message. I go to open it when Henry yells at me from the door.

"Momma! Let's go!"

"Alright kid I'm coming!" I call back and tuck my phone in my pocket.

* * *

"Have fun kiddo! I love you." I say just as he opens the door.

"I love you too mom. Bye!" He tells me and I wait until he walks in the front door of the school before driving away. I head to the station and pull in, shutting off my car and walking inside.

"Morning." I say to Graham and he smiles.

"Hey. How are you?"

"I'm okay. Got a headache." I tell him and he frowns sympathetically.

"That sucks. I'll try to keep it quiet." He says in hushed tones and I smile.

"Thank you. What's on the schedule?" I ask and he shrugs.

"Nothing really. I might have some paperwork for you to take to town hall." He tells me and I nod.

"Okay cool. Do you mind if I just piss around on the computer then?" I ask him.

"Go ahead Emma." He says and grabs the keys to the cruiser before leaving the station. As soon as he's gone I pull out my phone and check the message Regina left me last night. She told me that I need to stop acting like a child but I just laugh. I then download a CD burning program and start to research some music. I am going to tug her heart strings whether she liked it or not.

* * *

"Okay Emma, here you go." Graham says before handing me a folder.

"Okay I'll head out soon." I tell him without looking up as I put the folder beside me. I click a few more buttons and then put a CD into the computer before burning the playlist I spent all morning making. It takes a minute to transfer and then I take it out and slip it into the folder between the papers.

Once I get to the town hall I subconsciously check my hair and make-up and then shake my head at myself. _Why does this woman make me so crazy!?_ I get inside and Tink looks up at me. She gives me a knowing smile and I force myself not to blush.

"Some files to take in?" She asks and I nod. When she outstretches her hand though I keep the folder clutched in my hand.

"Do you mind if I go in?" I ask her and she nods.

"Just let me check if she's busy." Tink reassures me. I wait patiently for her to call in and she gives me the green light. I open the door without knocking because I know she knows I'm coming. When I poke my head in she's working at her desk, her head down and her hair falling in her face. She brushes a slim hand through the dark brown strands and pushes it behind her ear but it falls back again. She huffs out a breath of air and I admire her full lips. I stand there for a minute longer when she stops moving her pen and looks up.

"Miss Swan?" She startles.

"Hey Regina." I smile. She eyes me curiously and I raise an eyebrow.

"You didn't answer my texts last night." Regina states.

"I wasn't exactly in the right state too." I answer cautiously. Her eyes narrow at me.

"What state were you in exactly?" She asks me.

"A few too many sips of vodka?" I say but it comes out more like a question. Her eyebrows raise and I bite my lip.

"Interesting. So, what do you need Miss Swan?"

"Seriously, I hate when you call me that." I groan and she smirks.

"What do you need?"

"I was just here to bring files." I tell her and she tilts her head.

"You didn't want to give them to Tink and then run?" She snipes and I frown. _Ouch._

"I guess I have some time to waste." I say and she just stares at me. _Guess I stumped her._

"Well hand them over please." She extends a hand and I walk over to hand it to her. I make sure our hands brush and she jerks back. I raise an eyebrow and I see her cheeks tint pink.

"Goodbye Regina." I say and leave her office.

* * *

Regina's P.O.V

Emma leaves me completely flustered and I'm so frustrated with myself for letting it happen. That damn woman. I pull out the stack of papers and flip through them. In the middle of the stack is a CD case and I pull it out curiously. Written on the actual CD are the words "For You" and I open the case. I walk over to the seldom used radio in my office and turn it on before slipping in the CD. I press play and take a seat as the words begin to come out. I listen carefully to the lyrics and my heart breaks.

I listen to the entire CD over and over again as I work. Tink comes in once or twice and asked me about the music.

"Since when do you listen to music while you work?" She had asked.

"I guess it helps make the day go faster." I shrugged.

I realize now she probably thinks I'm crazy but whatever. Maybe I am.

* * *

Emma's P.O.V

Day Eight of Operation Gina rolls around and I feel like I might be making progress. I can see the way she hides a smile whenever I do something for her and how she avoids me whenever Robin is around. Henry still insists we have her over for supper but I don't think it's a good idea. She still is having problems with me in public though and I know I should take myself up a level. But for now I need to push this aside because it's girls' night. Ruby and Snow are coming over and Henry is going to hang out with Graham.

I drop Henry off at their place and pick up Ruby before heading back to the apartment. A few minutes after we arrive Snow shows up and she looks almost giddy.

"Are you okay?" Ruby teases and Snow smiles brightly.

"I'm just so excited to have a girls' night! I love being with David and having alone time but he just doesn't understand anything I babble about when it comes to girl stuff." She huffs and I laugh.

"I swear you are always hopped up on so much caffeine." I mumble but they both hear me and laugh.

* * *

Snow giggles loudly and takes another sip from her glass. Ruby laughs as well and I can't believe how much Snow talks when she's drunk. I mean, it's more than usual. And the usual is a lot.

"So you guys, I want your advice." Snow says hesitantly, her pointer finger tracing the rim of her glass.

"What's going on?" I ask and Ruby takes a sip of her pop, rubbing her swollen belly subconsciously.

"Are you okay Snow?" She inquires and Snow nods.

"Yeah! I'm... Great actually." She beams and Ruby and I glance at each other. Ruby narrows her eyes at the petite brunette and I tilt my head slightly to the right.

"I'm wondering how I should tell David I'm pregnant." Snow says and Ruby squeals loudly.

"Oh my god you're pregnant!?" She exclaims. Snow bobs her head up and down quickly with excitement.

"That's awesome! Have you guys discussed anything about children? I mean I know you two aren't married." I tell her and she bites her lip.

"I really love him but who knows what he'll say. I'm really hoping he'll be okay with all this." Ruby leans over to squeeze Snow's hand affectionately.

"I'm sure he's going to be okay. He treats you like gold." I reassure her. She smiles happily at me.

"Thank you, you guys. I appreciate the support." Snow gushes and we both brush her worries away.

"So you and David are together and expecting. Graham and I are married and expecting. Any news Ems?" Ruby pries and I start laughing.

"Real subtle Ruby, real subtle." I tease her and she rolls her eyes.

"Okay, okay. But I am serious. How's your love life?" Ruby asks seriously and I immediately think of Regina.

"Nothing to say." I shrug and take a long sip of my drink.

"You totally have your eye one someone!" Snow accuses and I spit some of my drink into the glass.

"What?" I exclaim.

"You definitely do! Spill everything." Ruby squeals.

"There is no one. There is nothing to spill." I say casually. They share a look I have a feeling I will regret.

"So then if I happened to interrogate Henry and go through your phone you'd be okay with it?" Ruby asks and my heart beats a little quicker.

"Yeah sure." I say, trying to appear unaffected even though I'm freaking out on the inside.

"Hand it over." They say in unison.

"What?" I ask and they snicker.

"Give us your phone." Ruby insists and I freeze.

"Oh there is definitely someone!" Snow starts freaking out and I down my drink. Oh no.

"Who Emma? If you just tell us we won't do anything to you." Ruby threatens and I groan.

"Fine. You two are killing me."

"Ooh ooh! I wanna guess." Snow giggles and Ruby rolls her eyes.

"Go ahead." I say, curious to who she's going to guess.

"Killian."

"No."

"Hunter."

"No." She keeps mentioning names and I just say no every time. Eventually I feel as if she is just saying random male names.

"That's everyone I can think of! You must be lying." Snow scoffs and I just laugh. I pour myself some more wine and shrug.

"I'm not lying! You did not say their name." I say and notice Ruby just thinking away beside me. Suddenly she gasps and I look at her in surprise.

"It's Regina."

* * *

 **hey you wonderful people :) thanks for sticking around and reading**


	21. Chapter 21

Emma's P.O.V

 _She keeps mentioning names and I just say no every time. Eventually I feel as if she is just saying random male names._

 _"That's everyone I can think of! You must be lying." Snow scoffs and I just laugh. I pour myself some more wine and shrug._

 _"I'm not lying! You did not say their name." I say and notice Ruby just thinking away beside me. Suddenly she gasps and I look at her in surprise._

 _"It's Regina."_

"Wait what?" Snow asks.

"You have the hots for the mayor." Ruby says and I take a long sip from my glass.

"No way." Snow gasps and Ruby giggles gleefully.

"I don't know how I couldn't see it sooner. I could tell you were completely head over heels but I had no idea it was her." Ruby says. She takes a big drink of water and Snow grabs herself a soda. How I didn't realize she wasn't actually drinking makes me laugh to myself.

"Well now you know the big secret." I say with a shrug.

"How long has this been going on?" Snow asks.

"Technically nothing is going on. I mean something almost happened and then Regina rejected me." I shrug.

"Why would she do that? I mean, look at you!" Ruby exclaims and then winks at me. I laugh and she rubs my arm.

"She claims that even thinking she might have had feelings for me was a lie and that she's with Robin." I sigh.

"I think she's lying to you about all of that. She's probably just scared of coming out of the closet. I've never seen her so friendly and happy since you came to town." Ruby tells me.

"But this past week and a bit she's seemed extra down on herself and closed off. I even met with Marcy and she says she barely leaves her office during the day." Snow tells me. _I knew it_.

"I'm trying to win her over and I feel like it might be working but I don't know." I admit.

"That's understandable. As of right now I wouldn't worry. I can tell she likes you more than she likes Robin." Snow says.

"It's just so hard to have her push me away. And I know Henry misses her a lot."

"Did you guys hang out a lot?"

"Yeah actually. But then we got into a huge fight and she told me she never wanted to see me again. So I've been trying to weasel my way back into her life."

"So is it working?" Ruby asks.

"I'm not sure. I hope so."

* * *

When Day Twenty-Three of Operation Gina comes to an end I begin to lose hope. I've done so much to try to get her to leave Robin for me but I feel like I'm drowning. I decide to go for a walk after dropping Henry off at a friend's house. I think I've wandered around in the cold for about an hour when I make my way to main street. I go into Granny's and order a large hot chocolate with lots of whipped cream and cinnamon sprinkled on top. I'm scrolling through Facebook on my phone when I get tapped on the shoulder.

"Neal?" I gasp, a little too loudly. My voice rings out through the quiet diner over the low music. A few heads turn to look at me and I grin sheepishly.

"Hey Emma." My ex-boyfriend smiles ever-so-charmingly. My mouth opens and closes as I try to speak but nothing is coming out. I think my brain has hit a dead end.

"Can we go somewhere to talk?" He asks and I just nod. I grab my hot chocolate and follow him to his car. Once we get in he turns it on and warm air blows across my pink cheeks.

"Why are you here?" I ask, finally finding the will to speak.

"I got a friend to track you down. I wanted to see you again." He says. I'm shocked to say the least.

"You got someone to find me? How?"

"Through the internet and all that. He was a P.I."

"You hired a P.I. to find me? Aren't they expensive?"

"Yeah sometimes. He gave me a discount but that's not the point. The point was that I actually found you." He reaches over to grab my hand but I move away from him. A hurt look flashes across his face but I ignore it.

"Why would you try to find me?" I ask him. I haven't seen him since I told him I was pregnant.

"After I sobered up I realized what a mistake I made and I tried to go and find you. But, you were nowhere to be found and no one knew where you went."

"That's the whole point of packing up and leaving everything behind." I tell him.

"Emma, you don't understand what I'm saying."

"Then explain it Neal! I don't want to play games anymore." I spit. He takes a deep breathe and that's when I remember his old anger issues.

"How about I take you out for dinner tonight? I'll explain everything and we can go from there?" He proposes. I feel like this might be a bad idea but I do want to hear what he has to say.

"Fine." I check my phone and then look back up. "I have to go now. Here's my number, text me later."

I get out of the vehicle and start to walk away when I'm stopped. "Emma!"

"Yeah?"

"Where did you say you have to be?" He asks. I don't say anything for a moment and decide against the truth. He doesn't need to know I have Henry, nor does he get the right to meet him.

"Going to see a friend. See you tonight Neal."

* * *

Regina's P.O.V

Robin and I enter the restaurant and I didn't realize how crowded it would be. But for once I don't mind the noise. It surely contrasts with the dead silence that envelopes my home.

"Hi, table for two." Robin tells the hostess and she leads us over to a nice table in the center of the restaurant. A waitress comes by to get our drinks and when she leaves that's when I notice a presence in the room. It's like the air has shifted and the room gets a little warmer. I take a look around but I don't notice anything out of the ordinary. The waitress comes back with our drinks and I take a long sip, letting the cold liquid quench my parched tongue.

I'm eating my meal and trying to seem interested in what Robin has to say when I take another look around the restaurant. A waiter moves and that's when I spot the familiar wave of blonde hair. My heart skips a beat and I try to push away the feelings I know I have for her. The waiter moves completely and I see the person she's sitting with for the first time. It's a man, probably about twenty five years old with brown eyes. I watch them for a few moments and watch her laugh at something he says, her head going back with laughter. I notice how he looks at her as if she holds the world- no, as if she _is_ the world. Who is he?

"Regina?" Robin asks and I look back at him.

"Hmm?" I hum and he smiles at me.

"I was just asking how your meal was. You seem distracted." He comments and looks behind him to where I was staring at Emma. He only looks for a minute before giving up and I breathe a sigh of relief he didn't notice her.

"It's delicious. How about yours?" I ask.

"It's very good." He tells me. I ask him about his job and just let him ramble on. When the date finally comes to a close and Robin gets up I notice Emma and her... friend get up as well.

"I actually have some errands to run before tomorrow so I will catch up with you later?" I propose to Robin and he freezes as he's putting on his jacket before continuing on.

"Well I was actually hoping we could go back to my place and have some alone time. It's been a long time." He says quietly and he grabs my hand.

"I know and I'm sorry. But it's important." I tell him sincerely. He makes a frustrated sigh and runs a hand over his face.

"Fine. Okay. I'll talk with you tomorrow." Robin leans over to kiss me and then I watch him walk out the door. I turn to look for Emma again and notice her and the man walking to the door. I follow them quietly and stop when I notice the two of them stop beside a vehicle. I can hear them talking and I can't help but eavesdrop on their conversation.

"Are you sure you don't want a ride home Emma?" He asks. He reaches out and grabs her hand and she lets him take it.

"Yeah, I'm sure. I don't mind walking. Besides, I need to stop by a friend's house." She says, staring down at their hands clasped together. My stomach knits together and I feel like I'm going to puke. The sight of her with someone else is making me sick. Maybe this is how Emma feels when she sees me with Robin.

"Okay. Well then maybe we can see each other again soon? I had a really good time tonight. It was almost like before." He says. _Before?_

"Yeah maybe. Good night." She says. He leans down and awkwardly kisses her on the cheek and then she turns and walks away. I watch him get into his vehicle before going after Emma. Chasing after a younger woman in heels definitely isn't easy.

"Emma!" I finally call out. She stops very suddenly and turns slowly. I take a few tentative steps forward. _Since when am I hesitant?_

"Regina?" She says quietly.

"Yeah. I saw you in the restaurant so I wanted to talk with you." I shrug, rubbing my leather-clad hands together.

"You were in there?" She asks timidly. Why does she look nervous?

"Yeah. I saw you with some man?" I venture.

"Yes I was. I'm guessing you were with Robin?" She asks, venom in her voice at the mention of his name.

"Yes. I was with Robin. I haven't seen your guy around town before. What's his name?" I ask. Her eyes seem to turn to steel.

"Neal." Is the only thing she utters. The name runs over my mind for a moment before it falls into place.

"Wait... Neal. Henry's father?" I ask, completely dumbfounded.

"Yes."

"But how? When?" I stutter and she just shakes her head.

"He said he used a private investigator to find me and ran into me today at Granny's. He wanted to take me out to dinner to talk." She explains.

"Does he know about Henry?" I ask and she shakes her head quickly.

"I haven't spoken about him yet. I don't want him to know until I know I can trust him."

"I see. So how have you been?" I ask awkwardly. It makes me want to hit myself.

"Fine." She shrugs. We begin walking and I just walk along beside her. I can feel the tension between us and I'm wracking my brain for ways to fix it. I need to fix this. Suddenly Emma stops and I look up to see why. We're in front of a cream coloured two-story house with a bright red door.

"Why are we stopped here?" I question her.

"I dropped Henry off with Ruby and Graham for tonight." She tells me and I nod. Emma walks up to the front door and knocks, glancing back at me once and I give her a smile. The door opens then and Ruby comes into view, her belly the first thing I see. I'm sure she's due any day now. Emma steps inside and over her shoulder Ruby makes eye contact with me. She waves and I do the same. Graham comes around the corner then with Henry in tow. My heart melts at the sight of the cheeky five year old. The sheriff gets Henry into his coat and boots and then helps him with his toque and gloves. Henry grabs Emma's hand and they both say their goodbyes before turning around and walking down the path. He's talking animatedly and I can't help but smile at his energy at eight o'clock at night.

"Gina!" I hear a high pitched squeal and look down at him. Henry runs down the path and grabs on to my legs, squeezing them tightly.

"Henry! Don't hurt her." Emma scolds and I look up at her. She's smiling happily at him and I admire the way her face softens when she looks at him.

"I'm fine, really. I've missed him." I say quietly and her eyes snap up to look into mine.

"Okay." She whispers and I smile. Henry lets go of my legs then and looks up at me with a bright smile.

"I thought I was never going to see you again." He says and my eyes widen.

"Of course you were going to see me again. I could never live without my little prince." I reassure him and he hugs me again quickly. He takes my hand and then reaches out with his other one for Emma. I get a sense of deja vu but I wouldn't have it any other way.

* * *

 **two updates in two days :) I know, I'm the best ;)**

 **thanks for reading! leave a review if the urge hits!**


	22. Chapter 22

**I just wanted to clear up that Snow was not drunk, in previous chapters. I would _never_ ever write that a pregnant woman was drunk. It's merely her personality and how I wrote how she was acting. Sorry for the confusion! **

* * *

Regina's P.O.V

 _"Gina!" I hear a high pitched squeal and look down at him. Henry runs down the path and grabs on to my legs, squeezing them tightly._

 _"Henry! Don't hurt her." Emma scolds and I look up at her. She's smiling happily at him and I admire the way her face softens when she looks at him._

 _"I'm fine, really. I've missed him." I say quietly and her eyes snap up to look into mine._

 _"Okay." She whispers and I smile. Henry lets go of my legs then and looks up at me with a bright smile._

 _"I thought I was never going to see you again." He says and my eyes widen._

 _"Of course you were going to see me again. We live in the same town Henry." I reassure him and he hugs me again quickly. He takes my hand and then reaches out with his other one for Emma. I get a sense of deja vu but I wouldn't have it any other way._

* * *

I walk into work the next day with two missions:

One; get all of my work done for the week today so I can take a few days off.

Two; figure out how to get myself out of the hole I dug. I think it's about time I stop denying who I really am and go out and get the woman I want.

"Good morning Tiffany. Follow me into my office please." I tell her and go into my office. I hear her footsteps behind me and I drop my purse beside my desk before taking off my coat. Tink takes it from me and hangs it up.

"Thank you dear. Now, I have a small list for you." I say and she nods, standing beside the desk as I dig it out. I hand it to her and she reads it over quickly. She's about to walk away when I stop her.

"Please sit for a minute. We need to go over a few things." I take a seat and she does as well. "I want you to read each item to me and I will tell you what needs to be done today."

"Number one, paperwork for the week." Tink reads and then looks up at me.

"I want to get everything done today."

"Today? Are you crazy?" She asks seriously and I laugh.

"Probably. I want to take the rest of the week off but I need to come back to a fresh week, not this weeks problems. So you and I are going to be working together today, understand?" I explain and she nods. "Go on." She reads off the rest of the list and then I tell her to take a stack of papers, read them through and highlight the important parts. I get to work and by lunch we've finished two days worth of work.

"I think _I_ need an assistant." Tink groans when we take a break for lunch. I laugh loudly and she smiles.

"I've ordered the pizza; it should be here in about ten minutes." I tell her and she nods.

"So, you seem really happy today." Tink says timidly and I smile.

"I guess I'm just feeling better than I have these past few weeks." I say vaguely.

"I saw you out with Emma last night." She throws out and I look at her sharply.

"What?"

"The only time you get like this is after being with Emma or when you know she's coming." Tink sing-songs and I roll my eyes.

"Please Tink, she's a friend." I protest.

"Regina, I've been your assistant since you became the mayor. I know you." Tink says and I bite my lip.

"Well Miss K.I.A, tell me more about myself." I grumble, sarcasm dripping from my words.

"Listen Regina. I understand you are with Robin but I can see that there is something going on between you and Emma." She pries.

"Do you really want to know?" I bait her and her eyes open wide with anticipation.

"Well you see-" I start when a knock comes at the door. "Oh, pizza is here."

Tink grumbles a bit but I ignore her and get up from the desk. I pay the boy at the door and get the pizza from him.

"Here are some plates and napkins. Do you want something to drink?" I ask her and she nods.

"Sure. That would be great." She tells me and I get two waters from the mini fridge I keep in my office. I hand one to her and she thanks me before opening the box and pulling out two slices.

"Now, you were telling me about Emma?" Tink says after a few moments.

"I thought you were supposed to have a terrible attention span, being so young?" I tease and she laughs.

"Don't try to change the subject!" She exclaims and I sigh.

"Okay. I'll tell you that I do care about her. And I might be considering leaving Robin for her." I say quietly and Tink squeals.

"Oh my god! Really!?"

"I feel as if I'm a teenager again." I groan and she giggles.

"I'm not that much younger than you. But seriously, tell me more!"

"When I saw her with some other man at this restaurant last night I felt so... jealous. I realized that I liked her more than a friend."

"That's great Regina. You deserve to be happy." She tells me and I feel a connection with this girl.

"Thank you." I say sincerely. We eat quickly and get back to work.

* * *

By the time seven o'clock rolls around, Tink and I have finished five days worth of paperwork in one day. I send her home with the promise of a bonus and she surprises me with a hug. I drop my bags at the door and only stop to get a muffin before going upstairs. I strip off my work clothes and pull a large t-shirt over my head that I think used to be my father's. Normally I wear a night dress but I don't have the energy to wear more clothing.

I turn on the T.V. and let it play for background noise. I eat my muffin and pull out my phone to look through my emails. Finding nothing but complaints and boring emails I switch over to my text messages.

Tink: _Have a great week off!_

Robin: _Text me soon so we can get together. Love you._

Emma: _Can we talk?_

As soon as I read Emma's message I ignore the other two and immediately call Emma's number. She picks up on the second ring.

"Hello?" Her voice is slightly breathless and it makes my heart jump.

"Emma. It's Regina." I say quietly. I hear her rummaging around on her end and I glance at the clock. It's 8:30 so I'm guessing she is trying to put Henry to bed.

"You got my text?" She asks and I hear her muffled voice.

"Yeah. Is this a bad time? I can call back." I offer.

"No!" She's quick to say. "I mean, I'm trying to get the kid to bed but that's okay. Here, talk to him for a minute." She tells Henry who's on the phone and there is a small commotion before his excited voice shrieks into my ear.

"Hello!?" He yells and I pull the phone away from my ear with a grimace.

"Hello Henry." I say quietly, my face instantly split into a smile.

"Gina? Is that you?" He says loudly and I hear Emma tell him to talk quieter.

"Yes Henry, it's Regina." I tell him.

"Why did you call?" He whispers.

"I really want to talk to your mom."

"Should I give the phone to momma then?"

"Not until she tells you too, okay dear?" I tell him.

"Okay. So why did you need to call my momma?"

"I have something very important to tell her."

"Can you tell me what it is?" He asks innocently and my mouth opens and closes a few times.

"Maybe in a little bit okay?" I say and the young boy doesn't pick up my hesitation.

"Okay!" He says. Henry begins to tell me about his day, his voice sometimes fading in and out as I guess Emma gets him ready for bed. I hear her voice say something I can't pick up and then Henry sighs into the phone.

"Momma says it's bedtime. Good night Gina." He says sadly and I hold back a laugh.

"Okay Henry. Good night dear." I tell him and there is slight static as the phone is transferred between the two of them. There is a moment of muffled voices as she puts him into bed.

"You still there?" Emma asks after a minute or two of silence.

"Yeah, I'm still here." I say quietly. There is a moment of no one speaking and I listen to her breathe. It's oddly comforting and eventually I break the silence.

"You wanted to talk?" I pry.

"Yeah." She sighs. "Regina, I'm so confused."

"About what Emma?" I ask, my heart constricting at her words.

"Yesterday. I was having a nice night out and suddenly there you are. You hadn't initiated conversation before that in what, a month?" I can tell her anger is mounting although her voice never raises.

"I- I know." I stutter, sighing. "I don't know what came over me." I lie.

"Oh really? So you weren't jealous?" She asks. I have no come back for her. "Answer me Regina."

"You know what, Emma? Yes I was. I understand why you were so upset with me being with Robin."

"Have you broken up with him?" Emma asks and I sigh. "I'll take that as a no."

"Emma, I will. I'll do it for you." I suddenly say. I hear her sharp intake of air.

"Wait what?"

"I have the rest of the week off, let me take you somewhere. Out of town." I emphasize. As of right now I'm somewhat rambling but I don't care. I need to tell her.

"I uh... You... Oh my god." She says breathlessly. I can picture her laying on her bed, her hand thrown over her eyes as she's taking in what I've just suggested.

"I know Emma, I know. But I've finally come to my senses. I can't be with him anymore." I spit out.

"So this is all because of Neal coming to town?" She asks and I can hear the humor evident in her voice.

"Maybe..." I trail off. Emma laughs and I smile subconsciously.

"I should send him flowers and a muffin basket." She taunts me and I scoff.

"Don't you dare." I threaten and she laughs again.

"But seriously, if I knew all it would take for you to run away from your little boy in the woods was my ex-boyfriend I would've invited him to town weeks ago."

"I'm going to take that as a yes to the week off." I smile and she sighs.

"I'd love to but I can't. You see, I have both a job I have to work at and a son I have to take care of."

"Get a babysitter for your adorable son and as for your job, I happen to know the mayor." I smirk and she chuckles.

"Well you do drive a hard bargain Miss Mills." She states.

"I am quite the negotiator." I tell her.

"Indeed you are. How about I get back to you?" Emma proposes.

"I'll be awaiting your call." I say quietly. I wait for her to hang up and smile happily.

* * *

 **thanks for the reviews and feedback :) I appreciate you guys reading my work.**


	23. Chapter 23

_Regina's P.O.V_

 _"Get a babysitter for your adorable son and as for your job, I happen to know the mayor." I smirk and she chuckles._

 _"Well you do drive a hard bargain Miss Mills." She states._

 _"I am quite the negotiator." I tell her._

 _"Indeed you are. How about I get back to you?" Emma proposes._

 _"I'll be awaiting your call." I say quietly. I wait for her to hang up and smile happily._

* * *

Emma's P.O.V

As soon as I get off the phone with Regina I call Ruby. I lay in bed, playing with my hair and my phone ringing on speaker. She picks up quickly and I praise her ability to have her phone attached to her hip.

"Emma! How you doing hun?" She asks cheerfully.

"Quite good actually. How are you and baby Rubes?"

"Alive and well. Pretty energized at the moment." She hums happily and I reminisce when I was pregnant with Henry.

"That's good."

"So what do you need?" Ruby asks.

"How is it that you know?" I laugh.

"We may text often but you only call when you need Ruby's services." She teases.

"Fair enough. I'll get straight to it then. Regina called me earlier." I start and she gasps.

"Really? That's awesome Ems!"

"She then proceeded to tell me she was jealous after seeing me with my ex and invited me to go on a trip with her. _Out. Of. Town_." I tell her and she squeals.

"No damn way! So what do you need me for?"

"She said I should find my son a babysitter." I put out there.

"Of course Graham and I will take Henry. He's perfect for practice for when my lovely kid decides to pop out." Ruby tells me.

"Thank you so much."

"How long?"

"Probably until Sunday. She told me to take the week off." I tell her.

"Holy shit. A week long get away with Miss Perfect? Sounds like your dreams come true." Ruby says and I beam.

"Tell me about it. But it won't be a problem?" I ask, hoping I'm not being a burden.

"Awe Emma. You go and have fun with your girl. You need to relax, enjoy, and get laid."

"Well all right then. I guess it's time to go out and do exactly what you said." I tell her and she laughs.

"I mean, I'm not gay or bi but I can bet she is something else in bed. Like I mean I can tell she has a gorgeous figure but seriously, good for you. Robin doesn't deserve that." She says and I start laughing.

"I'm hoping so Rubes. I mean her personality is golden and I adore everything about her but I can't deny how beautiful she is." I admit.

"Beautiful? Damn, that is the true sign that you are in love with her." I sit up with a start, my mouth wide open.

"I'm not in love with her." I sputter and she scoffs.

"Okay Emma, whatever you say..." She laughs.

"Seriously! I mean we haven't been here long enough for me to fall in love." I state.

"I know you've been hurt Emma but open your eyes. I can see that you care for her a lot more than you realize. You were damn near close to depression after your fight. I didn't know it was her but I knew whatever it was was killing you from the inside." She tells me, her voice sharp but empathetic.

"I, uh... I need to go. Thanks Ruby." I whisper.

"No problem Emma." She says and then hangs up. I flop back down on the bed, my limbs flying out. A long sigh falls from my lips and my thoughts run through my head at a mile a minute.

"I can't be in love with her." I grumble to myself. "Am I in love with her?"

I decide there is no point letting my thoughts strangle me and I call Regina back.

"Emma. Have an answer so soon?" She teases and I smile.

"Maybe. Depends on where this trip would be."

"Oh, sassy. I like them with fire in their hearts. It's a surprise dear." Her voice sends shivers down my spine.

"Well I do like surprises. Tell me, is it going to be the perfect get-away?"

"Oh absolutely. Considering the mayor is counting down the hours until it is time to leave this town I'd say it's pretty damn perfect."

"Then consider me in."

"Really?" She says and I laugh.

"Of course. How can I deny you, the master negotiator?" I tease and she chuckles, her timbre low and husky.

"Good words, Miss Swan. I'll pick you up at nine tomorrow morning. That sound good?" Regina asks and I can't help the unbelievable grin on my face.

"That sounds perfect."

* * *

"Hey Neal, it's Emma." I say nervously when he picks up the phone.

"Emma, it's good to hear from you." He says, and I can tell he's smiling through the phone.

"Yeah... Okay, there's no easy way of saying this, but I think I'm getting back together with someone. So you and I can't continue seeing each other." I tell him. There's silence on his end of the phone and I start to get even more nervous than I already am.

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah. Our supper the other night was just between old friends."

"So I spent money trying to find you and it was all for nothing? Are you kidding me?" He asks angrily, and I frown, glad I'm doing this over the phone.

"No, I'm not kidding. I'm sorry Neal."

"Fuck Emma." He growls.

"And I want you to leave town." I say in a hurry, and then hold my breath.

"Fine, whatever. Consider me already gone." He tells me, and then hangs up without another word.

"Goodbye Neal." I say quietly into the phone.

* * *

"Okay Henry. I have packed you a suitcase and I'm going to give it to Graham and Ruby when they get here. Do you have everything you need for school?" I ask him and he nods.

"Momma, where are you going?" He asks and I bend down so I can talk to my baby face-to-face.

"Regina and I are going on a trip."

"Why can't I come?" He pouts and I sigh, frowning.

"It's an adults only trip kiddo. But don't worry, I will call you every night and I know you love it at Ruby and Graham's."

"Okay." A knock comes at the door then and I get up to answer it.

"Hey Emma." Graham smiles and I hug him briefly.

"Thank you so much for this. Henry is going to a perfect guest, right Henry?" I ask him, winking. He giggles before nodding his head.

"It's our pleasure." Graham says and he glances at his watch. "Come on Henry, let's get you to school." Henry walks over to the door and I reach down to hug him. When I let go I kiss him loudly and he blushes with a scowl on his face.

"Momma!" He protests and I smile.

"I love you munchkin." I tell him and he gives me a lopsided grin.

"I love you too." He says and then grabs Graham's hand.

"Bye Emma, have a good trip." Graham smiles and I wave good bye.

Once they are gone I finish packing, making sure I grabbed everything Regina sent me in a cryptic text this morning. I'm just shoving my phone charger and a pack of gum into my backpack for the ride when someone knocks on the door. I look at the clock and watch as it flips to nine o'clock on the dot. Damn she's punctual. I finish zipping everything up and walk out to open the door. She looks casual yet sophisticated in yoga pants and a red cashmere sweater that compliments her skin tone as well as a black trench coat and I think my mouth goes dry.

"Hello." She says and I smile.

"Hi." There is a moment of awkward silence and I remember my manners. "Come in, I'm just finishing up." I tell her and she closes the door behind her. I bring out my bags from my room and shrug on my red leather jacket over my lace trimmed white sweater with mesh sleeves. I made sure to wear my favourite jeans and my black boots.

"Ready to go?" Regina asks and I nod.

"Let's hit the road." I tell her and she smiles.

I put my hipster backpack, as Neal used to call it, over my shoulder and grab my other bag before following Regina out to her black Benz. I put my stuff into her trunk and get into the passenger side as she starts up the vehicle and we start driving. I watch the town pass by slowly for a few minutes until we get to the town line and I can't stand the silence.

"So when will you tell me where we're going?" I ask her, curiosity getting the best of me.

"Not until we're just about there."

"Will you tell me how long it will take to get there?"

"About five hours." She informs me and I groan. "I know, I know. It's a long time. But I pegged you for one of those people who enjoys car games."

"Oh really? How do you figure?" I ask, a small smile gracing my face.

"You're slightly fidgety and _very_ curious." She states simply.

"All right fine. What kinda game?" I ask, turning in my seat to face her. I put my seat belt behind me so it's not digging into my skin.

"How about... Twenty questions?" She suggests.

"Are we going to be totally honest with each other?" I ask and she bites her lip.

"Sure. We usually are anyways, right?" Regina says and I nod.

"You start." I tell her and she hums a bit as she thinks.

"Do you ever regret being with Neal?" She asks.

"No." I say with no hesitation.

"Really?" She sounds almost hurt by my confession.

"I would never change anything about that. He may have caused me pain but I have Henry because of him. I love Henry so much."

"Of course. I should've known. I'm sorry."

"No, don't worry about it. People always ask if I regret being a teen mom but I wouldn't give up him or my memories for anything. I mean maybe there are little things I would have tweaked so I wouldn't look back and say what the hell was I thinking." I laugh and she smiles.

"We all have those moments." She reassures me.

"Okay, my turn. Before I came around, were you going to marry Robin?"

"Most likely, yes." She frowns.

"I see."

"Emma, you have to understand I didn't know how I truly felt. I was always told from a young age that women married men and there was no other way. My mother was a bitch."

"Sounds like it. No offense but I'm glad I don't have to meet her." I laugh lightly and she does too.

"She would have never accepted you." Regina says and I sigh.

"Probably not. I was a teenage mother and I'm bisexual."

"She would claim that you would be my rebellious stage."

"I figured you to do that when you were young?"

"Nope. I was way too terrified of her." She admits and I laugh.

"What's going on between you and Neal?" Regina asks.

"I don't know. Probably nothing. I mean hell he doesn't really deserve a second chance."

"So nothing is going to happen?"

"I'm guessing you don't want that?" I tease and she shoots me a glare.

"Hell no."

"We might become friends but other than that I think... No, I know there is nothing that will happen." I tell her honestly. I have no interest in that man.

"Good."

"Regina, what does this trip mean?" I ask, completely curious as to what this all means.

"It means that I'm done with Robin and that I'm ready to move on. I didn't realize what I was missing in my life until you came around." She tells me, sparing me a heart felt look.

"Finally." I smile.

* * *

 **I know, I suck. I haven't updated in forever :/ but here it is!**


	24. Chapter 24

_Emma's P.O.V_

 _"Regina, what does this trip mean?" I ask, completely curious as to what this all means._

 _"It means that I'm done with Robin and that I'm ready to move on. I didn't realize what I was missing in my life until you came around." She tells me, sparing me a heart felt look._

 _"Finally." I smile._

* * *

Regina's P.O.V

I'm driving through the city of Portland, looking for our hotel. We're finally at our destination and I look over to get Emma to help me only to find her asleep. I chuckle quietly and come to the conclusion it makes sense she's been so quiet for the past half hour. I reach over and squeeze her thigh lightly and she just twitches. I do it again and whisper her name. She mumbles something incoherently and I sigh. I turn up the music really loud and hit her. Her eyes fly wide open, her pupils almost fully dilated and the green seemingly gone.

"What happened!?" She screeches and I turn the music back down with a laugh.

"You fell asleep but we're here. I need help looking for the hotel." I tell her.

"Ooh. Where are we?" She asks excitedly. It's only about noon now and after we drop off our stuff I'm planning on taking her to a burger joint she talked about before.

"Portland." I say simply and glance over to see her reaction. Her eyes grow wide and she looks around more closely to her surroundings.

"I haven't been here since..."

"Neal, right?" I fill in the blank. She nods and I notice her wistful expression.

"Yeah." She smiles.

"Okay do you see the Colonial Inn?" I ask her and she helps me locate the hotel. Once checked in we drop our bags off and freshen up quickly.

"I'm starved. Where too?" Emma exclaims.

"The Congress Bar and Grill?" I suggest and she gasps.

"I love that place! Let's go." She smiles.

After a praised lunch Emma and I go to the store to get a few things for the week ahead of us. We go back to the hotel and Emma throws herself on the bed. I put whatever I need to in the fridge and thank the lord I got a suite.

"You must be loaded." Emma says and I laugh.

"What?"

"You booked a suite for a whole five days. That takes some moolah." Emma smiles and I shrug.

"My parents were very rich and left me a lot of money when they died yes but I've earned a lot of my wealth on my own."

"Oh I don't doubt that." Emma says. We both go quiet and I walk over to the bed. There is only one in the entire room, but I planned it that way. I sit down on the end and unzip my boots slowly. I know she's watching me closely but that's okay.

"Oh for the love of god." She groans and I feel the bed dip before I find her in front of me. She grabs my boots and rips them off before throwing them somewhere in the room. She pushes me back on the bed and crawls over me.

"I've waited long enough for you." Emma growls and I smirk.

"Then let's quit waiting." I say with a low voice and she quickly leans down to capture my lips with her own. Kissing Emma again is like coming home after the worst vacation ever. I lift my hands up to feel her above me. My hands go under her shirt and I feel the softness of her skin over hard muscles. She bites my lip and in response my back arches off the bed and I rake my nails over her skin. She groans low in her throat and I feel the vibrations against me. We end up sitting up and suddenly clothes are being ripped off.

"If you wreck anything of mine you are paying for it." I say in between kisses and she chuckles.

"Fine, fine, Madame Mayor." She teases and I roll my eyes.

A few moments later the two of us are both in our underwear and I admire the way her simple black lace set looks on her.

"You are beautiful." Emma whispers as her eyes rake over my body clad in a burgundy lace set covered in jewels.

"I could definitely say the same Miss Swan." I tell her and I reach up to run my fingers over her face. We sit there and stare at each other, drinking in each other's features as if we'll never see each other again. I look back up at her face and her eyes meet mine. I stare into her stunning green eyes and she smiles lightly. It's almost as if she's glowing.

"I love you." I whisper and then I realize what I've said.

"You do?" She asks and I take a deep breathe. But I know I didn't make a mistake.

"I do. I love you so much. I was just so afraid to admit it." I look down at my lap but she puts a hand under my chin. I look back up at her and she has tears in her eyes.

"I love you too Regina." She says and a tear slips out onto her cheek.

"Why are you crying?"

"I've never felt like this before. You make me feel things I didn't know were possible. I just love you so much." She gives me a watery smile. My heart swells at her confession and I squeeze her hand. I go in for a kiss and she meets me halfway. I feel a warmth spread over my entire body and there's electricity everywhere she touches me. I take off her bra and slide her panties down over her hips. She does the same for me and I admire her body. I go down her body, touching or kissing every beauty mark, stretch mark, and scar.

"I know, they are so ugly." She whispers and I look up to see a frown mar her face.

"They are a part of you and they help make you the beautiful woman you are." I run a finger over her stretch marks. "You can't forget that these are a product of your amazing baby boy."

"Okay." Emma smiles. I make my way down to her core and run a hand over her thighs. She shivers above me and I smirk.

"You like how I make you feel?" I tease, blowing hot breath of air on her. She whimpers slightly and I go in, licking a stripe up her. Emma let out a long sigh and I glance up at her between my lashes. A thin layer of sweat is covering her glorious body and she's propped up on her elbows, trying her best to focus on me.

"Fuck. You're hot down there when I see you from up here." Emma pants as I begin to suck on her clit and slide two fingers into her. She's so wet for me. I move quickly inside her and reach up to gently play with her breast. I roll her nipple between my fingers and Emma groans loudly.

"Oh my god Regina, harder." Emma growls and I slip another finger into her and move quicker. I can feel her about to orgasm and I pinch her nipple to get her to come. Her breathing becomes laboured and she says my name loudly.

"Say my name so they can hear you in the next room." I growl, biting lightly on her clit. She screams my name and I smirk as she comes undone beneath me. I pull out of her and suck on my fingers, tasting how sweet she is. I crawl back up and kiss her sweetly. She hums in contentment and smiles before opening her eyes to look at me.

"Time for me to return the favour." She smirks and flips herself over me, kissing me hard and passionately.

"Please do Emma." I purr and she smiles. Emma latches her mouth onto my perky nipple and sucks just hard enough to be slightly painful. I gasp in delight and my back arches off the bed. She does the same to the other one before kissing a trail down my stomach to my core. She rubs my clit in circles as she dips her tongue into me and my eyes roll back into my head.

"Fuck me harder Emma. I need you." I growl, my voice husky. I have never felt this. With Robin I felt nothing. It was like eating the same thing every day for every meal. It was boring and tasteless. Emma is like a new delicacy that is the best thing I've ever had. She's a new experience I want to have every day.

"Whatever you say your majesty." She winks, her voice vibrating against me. I whimper slightly as she gets deeper into me, her tongue working wonders as she pushes a finger in. Emma hits my g-spot and I sit up on the bed in surprise, grabbing her hair. I pull lightly and she closes her eyes in pleasure. I push her closer to me and she manages to get in just where I need it. I moan loudly and she pushes a second finger in slowly. I roll my hips to meet her and I can feel my climax building.

"Emma!" I yell, and ecstasy washes over me. Once I'm down from the high I notice Emma has made her way to lay beside me. I pull her closer and hug her to me. Our bare bodies seem to fit together perfectly and I lift up her chin to kiss her.

"I love you." I tell her sincerely.

"I love you." She says. We lay there just enjoying each other and the peace and quiet and I know this is what I've been missing my entire life. I may only be twenty six but that is too many years to go without a soul mate.

"Want to come take a shower?" I ask and she nods. We pull apart and walk into the bathroom together.

* * *

 **so I've been absolutely horrible at updating clearly. I have been extremely busy with school and musical and ringette. so thank you for sticking with me, and I love you guys for reading.**

 **please review if you wish :)**


	25. Chapter 25

_Regina's P.O.V_

 _"I love you." I tell her sincerely._

 _"I love you." She says. We lay there just enjoying each other and the peace and quiet and I know this is what I've been missing my entire life. I may only be twenty six but that is too many years to go without a soul mate._

 _"Want to come take a shower?" I ask and she nods. We pull apart and walk into the bathroom together._

* * *

Emma's P.O.V

One week later

"Do you want me come back to my place tonight?" Regina asks me.

"Yeah sure. Let's go get Henry though. He's at the Lucas'." I tell her with a smile. After a week alone the two of us have sorted everything out and we are at a place I wasn't sure we were ever going to get too. It's better than I ever imagined. She still has to end things with Robin though and I know she's nervous to do so.

"It's over on Second Street right?" Regina asks and I nod.

"Yeah. The house with the red door." I tell her. Once we get there I undo my seatbelt but stop to look at her.

"Do you want to come get him with me?" I ask and she looks surprised.

"Really?" She says and I laugh.

"Yeah of course. He loves you." I tell her. She smiles happily and takes off her seatbelt as well. We both walk up to the door and I knock. There is only a few moments before I hear the pitter patter of running feet and the steady clomp I recognize as Graham's.

"Emma! You're back." He says as soon as he opens the door and I hear a small squeal before Henry latches onto my legs.

"Momma!" I hear a muffled exclamation from my legs and I look down. Henry looks up at me with a beaming smile and I pick him up with a grunt.

"My my! Did you get bigger while I was gone?" I tease him and he giggles.

"I hope so!" He smiles and then Ruby waddles out into the doorway.

"Emma, Regina, nice to see you guys." She smiles.

"Ruby, when is that baby due?" Regina asks and Henry looks over to her.

"Gina!" He says happily before throwing himself towards her. Her quick reflexes come to her aid and she catches him quickly with wide eyes.

"Hi dear." Regina says quietly, her lips pulling into a smile. I notice the way her eyes soften when she looks at him and it fills my stomach with a tingly feeling.

"Baby is due anytime now. We're ready for it to get out." Ruby smiles grimly and I laugh.

"Google different things to make the baby come faster. That's what I did with this guy." I tell her, ruffling Henry's hair.

"Will do." Ruby smiles.

"Oh, how much for taking care of the kid all week?" I ask, going to grab my wallet out of my bag.

"Nothing, Emma! Seriously. Maybe one night you can take us out to dinner. But Henry is an angel, it was no problem."

"Hear that momma? I'm an angel." Henry smirks and I laugh.

"Okay kiddo." I wink at him and he laughs. "If you're sure then?" I say to Ruby and Graham.

"Yeah, don't worry about it." Ruby smiles and I hug her around her belly. She laughs at my attempt and once I let go her hand rubs over her stomach subconsciously.

"Okay. Well thank you again." I smile and Graham hugs me quickly.

"No problem!" They both say.

"Have a good night you two." Regina smiles and we both head down the pathway back to Regina's car. She sets him down outside the car and he climbs inside before putting on a seatbelt.

"Oh wait!" Regina says and goes into her trunk. I wait until she comes back out and I look to see what she has.

"I bought Henry a carseat." She states cheerfully and I swear to God I have found the most perfect woman in the world.

"Thank you so much." I say, my voice breaking.

"Emma, are you okay?" Regina asks, concern evident in her voice. She puts down the car seat and rushes over to me, grabbing onto my arms. I suddenly can't help the tears that stream down my cheeks and she pulls me to her in order to hug me tightly.

"Emma? Speak to me." She coaxes softly and I sniffle once.

"I love you so much." I whisper, hugging her tightly. After a few moments I pull back and look down, embarrassed that she saw me cry like that.

"I love you too dear." Regina smiles softly before pulling me closer and kissing me gently on the lips. I melt into the kiss and break away from her with a jolt when I hear a holler.

"Yeah Emma!" I suddenly hear from the house and look over to see Ruby and Graham staring at us from a window. I look back at Regina and she's blushing furiously. I start laughing but flip the two of them off anyway. I hear them laughing before they leave from our sight.

"I've just... I've never really had someone like you. I don't know if anyone's ever cared for me like you do." I shrug and Regina reaches up to wipe the tears from my cheeks. I bite my lip and look up at her. Her brown eyes look deep into mine and I smile.

"Well I'm not leaving you. Now, you okay to head home?" She asks and I nod. Regina gets Henry out of the vehicle before installing the carseat and helping Henry back in. I get inside the vehicle and so does she a few moments later. She starts the car and begins driving, grabbing my hand.

* * *

Once at Regina's place I help Henry out and he looks up at her house.

"This is Gina's house, right?" He asks and I nod.

"Yes it is. She invited us over for supper." I tell him and he smiles.

"Okay!" He runs up to the front door and waits impatiently for the two of us to get our stuff and come unlock the door.

* * *

A few hours later Regina and I are sitting on the couch in her living room, Henry lying in between us. He fell asleep about an hour ago after begging us to put on _Despicable Me_. Regina and I decided to keep watching it even though she was reluctant to put it on in the first place. I look over at her and watch as she holds back a laugh as those stupid minions do something that makes no sense and admire the way her eyes crinkle when she smiles, truly smiles. She looks over and catches me staring. A blush spreads from her cheeks down her neck and I smile.

"What?" She whispers.

"Nothing. I'm just staring 'cause you're beautiful." I tell her and she leans over to hit me.

"Oh stop it." She mumbles. Regina bites her bottom lip, her mouth threatening to break out into a smile so I grab her chin. She looks up at me and I lean in, kissing her soundly on the mouth. Our mouths muffle her gasp of surprise and I smile into the kiss. She's like the sun after being stuck in a dark room. Refreshing and yet slightly blinding.

"Momma?" I hear Henry murmur and Regina and I break apart quickly. I glance down between us and see he's rubbing his eyes. I breathe a sigh of relief and I pull away from Regina in order to get a better look at the kid.

"Are you awake Henry?" I mumble quietly. He nods his head without ever opening his eyes. I get up slowly and cradle him in my arms. Regina helps me get him securely in my grip so I don't drop the damn kid.

"Oh my god he's so damn heavy. I think he gained ten pounds when he fell asleep." I groan and Regina laughs quietly.

"Where should I put him?" I ask her and she gets up quickly.

"Just follow me." She whispers and we walk up the stairs, one after the other. Regina takes me into the guest room just beside what I assume is her bedroom. I lay him down in the middle of the massive queen bed and cover him up, the blankets consuming his tiny body. I kiss his head and whisper good night before telling him I love him. I turn around to leave and Regina hesitates.

"Do you mind if I..." She trails off, gesturing to my baby.

"Go ahead." I whisper, kissing her cheek and squeezing her hand. I move to the doorway and I watch as she leans down to kiss him on his forehead. I see her sit down on the bed and she brushes his hair back. Her hair falls over her face but I see her lips moving even though I can't hear what she's saying. After a minute or so she gets up and turns around and joins me. I leave the door open halfway and make sure Regina leaves the hallway light on as I follow her back downstairs. We turn everything off and then we head up to her room.

We both strip down to get into our pajamas and I stare at her perfectly round ass the entire time until she catches me and throws an old t-shirt at me. I laugh lightly and she scoffs. We crawl into bed and I pull her to me with a smirk on my lips.

"You're an idiot, you know that?" She pouts and I laugh.

"A hot idiot. And your girlfriend, your idiot." I smile and she rolls her eyes.

"Yeah, I guess so." She kisses me then and I pull her closer, getting as intimate as possible. We pull apart and she rests her head on my chest while I play with her hair.

"So what did you say to Henry?" I ask her.

"I just... I told him I loved him." Regina admits and I pause my actions. She pulls her head off my chest to look me in the eye. "Is that okay?"

"That's perfectly fine. He deserves to have you in his life. Now," I guide her head back to my chest before I continue. "What else did you say?"

"I told him how lucky he was to have you, how handsome he is, how smart he is, how he's going to grow up to be something great." Regina rambles. I hear her yawn and I let a big smile take over my face.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

We lay there in the dark, Henry only twenty steps away and I realize this is what I've needed. I need her. She's beautiful and smart and driven and kind. She can be a hard-ass, a smart-ass, and a bad-ass but she's mine and I wouldn't have it any other way. When I look into her brown eyes or run my hands through her dark hair or touch her smooth olive skin I admire how we might look like yin and yang but how we are blended perfectly. I know she's what I want for the rest of my life, to be the constant moon that is always there even when I can't see her. She's imperfect which makes her perfect to me. I want nothing else but to hold her in my arms every night when we go to sleep and to build something amazing with her. She's everything to me and I can't let her get away.

That's when I decide: I'm going to propose to Regina Mills. It may not be tomorrow, or next week, or even next month but I will. And it's going to be awesome.

* * *

 **thanks for reading and sticking around! I'm shitty at updating... please review :)**


	26. Chapter 26

_Emma's P.O.V_

 _That's when I decide: I'm going to propose to Regina Mills. It may not be tomorrow, or next week, or even next month but I will. And it's going to be awesome._

* * *

Regina's P.O.V

I roll over with a groan and bump into a body, opening my eyes slowly. When I catch sight of blonde curls a lazy smile makes it's way onto my face. I look at the clock and see that it's already seven o'clock and that I should've woken up a few minutes ago. I realize I must have forgotten to set the alarm but I don't mind. I get out of bed slowly, carefully moving her arm off of my body and making sure not to wake her. I go into the bathroom and start the shower. I wait for it to get to the right temperature before stripping down and getting in. I shower quickly and then get out, putting on my make-up and blow drying my hair.

When I go back into my room Emma is still laying in bed and I glance at the clock. It's 7:30 now so I decide I should probably get her up. I walk over to the bed and climb on before straddling her sleeping form. I remember how hard it was to get her up last time so I think for a moment. A smirk takes over my lips as I get an idea before leaning down to kiss her. She doesn't stir at all so I kiss her again before moving my lips lower, moving down her neck and then to her breasts. I tweak her nipples lightly through her shirt and that's when she begins to move around beneath me.

"What time is it?" Emma mumbles.

"Seven thirty." I tell her before kissing her again. She reaches up to run her fingers through my hair and I pull back just enough to look into her stunning green eyes.

"Well good morning to you too." She smiles sleepily and I get off her.

"Help me pick something to wear?" I ask her and she nods, rolling over to get a better look at my closet.

"Something sexy." Emma states before I even begin to look. I look over my shoulder to glare at her and she laughs. I pull out a handful of shirts and she inspects each one.

"Definitely the steel gray. And pair that with your red skirt and red blazer." Emma tells me.

"You like seeing me in red?" I ask with a smug smile and she laughs.

"Definitely. Red is a power colour and I like a woman in power." She smirks. I get dressed right in front of her, dropping my bathrobe and baring everything I have. I shimmy a pair of red lace underwear up my legs and Emma grabs the matching red bra from my hands before I can put it on.

"Let me." She smiles. She kisses me everywhere the bra would go and I have to hit her on the forearm to get her to hurry up.

"As much as I enjoy finding out you're a sex monkey, I have to get ready Emma. Hurry up dear." I tell her and she giggles before doing up my bra. Once she's done I quickly pull on my shirt and pull up my skirt as Emma decides to button up my blouse for me.

"You called me a sex monkey?" Emma says a few minutes later and I laugh.

"Did you just catch that?" I ask incredulously.

"I was mulling it over." She grumbles and kisses me before heading to my bathroom.

"Do you mind waking up Henry?" She asks me with a smile before she disappears and I hear the shower start.

"Fine. But only because you smell and you really need that shower!" I call out and hear her laugh from inside the bathroom. I leave my room and go into the spare bedroom right beside to find the boy still passed out. I walk over and perch on the edge of the bed before reaching out and running my hand through his soft hair. The light brown strands fall back into place and I smile at him.

"Henry, it's time to wake up. It's time for school." I say and his eyelashes flutter slightly.

"So you're just like your mother? Hard to wake up?" I ask him and his eyebrows scrunch together but he still stays asleep. I shake him slightly and he groans.

"Henry." I say, dragging his name out and shaking him again.

"Ginaaaa." He moans, dragging my name out just like I had his, and I laugh lightly.

"Yes Henry?" I ask and he rolls over and peels his eyes open to stare at me.

"I don't want to get up." He says with a pout and I lean down to kiss him gently. He smiles groggily.

"You have too, okay? I'll make you waffles for breakfast and you can have hot cocoa." I tell him and he seems to wake up.

"Okay!" He crawls out of bed and walks to the bathroom down the hall after asking me where it was. I go downstairs and start making batter after putting on an apron. Emma and Henry meet me downstairs just as I finish the first batch and have started frying bacon.

"Oh my god how did we get so lucky Henry!?" Emma exclaims and I smile.

"I don't even know Mom!" He giggles and I can't hold back the laugh.

"You two are something else." I say and lay down a plate of waffles and bacon. They dive in and I join them soon after. Emma says she's lucky but I know I'm the one who's lucky. They are all I've ever wanted.

* * *

"Good morning Tink." I smile at my assistant and she looks up at me.

"Regina! Good morning." Tink smiles at me. "How was your vacation?"

"It was wonderful. Can you get me a coffee and any messages from last week, as well as any paperwork that needs to get done today?" I ask her and she nods.

"For sure. That'll be right in." She says and I go into my office. I take off my jacket and put it on the hanger before walking over to my desk and dropping my purse down beside it. Tink comes in a few minutes later with a cup of coffee and a small stack of paperwork and sets it all on my desk.

"Thank you dear. If anyone comes, intercom me first before letting them in." I tell her and she nods before leaving the room. I work through the morning without pause and right before lunch I get out my phone. I have two messages, one from Emma and one from Robin.

Emma: _Want to have lunch together or meet up after work?_

Robin: _Regina I want to have lunch. We haven't seen each other in a week._

I tell Emma that we should meet up after work and tell Robin that he should meet me at my office. He offers to bring food and I oblige. I have to end things with him today. About fifteen minutes later my phone rings and I pick it up.

"Yes Tink?"

"Robin is here to see you. Should I send him back?" She asks, sounding very unsure.

"Yes send him through. And Tink?" I stop her before she can hang up.

"Yeah?"

"Go take your lunch break." I inform her and there is a moment of silence.

"Okay Miss Mills." She says and then hangs up. A moment later my door opens and Robin walks in, a to-go bag in his hand. He gives me a warm smile and I return it, trying to hide my guilt. I get up and he embraces me in a hug before I can avoid it. I make sure it's kept short and guide him over to the table.

"Come, sit." I invite and he does as I say. We begin eating, the air between us heavy and awkward.

"Just spit it out." He suddenly blurts and I look up at him in surprise.

"Excuse me?"

"I know you're hiding something or that you need to tell me something Regina." Robin says and I set down my fork and push away my meal. I don't have an appetite anymore.

"I'm breaking up with you." I say simply. He stops moving and drops his food back into the container. I force myself to keep looking at him as his lips press into a thin line.

"Why are you breaking up with me?" Robin asks, his voice hard. I can tell he's hiding his anger right under the surface.

"I've met someone else." I tell him.

"Who is it?" He asks. I don't say a word. I'm too scared for his reaction.

"Who. Is. It?" He asks angrily. When I still say silent he grabs my arm.

"Emma." I hiss. He squeezes before letting go. He slams his fist down on the table and I flinch.

"Of course it's Emma. That bitch can't stay away from what's mine." Robin spits.

"I am _not_ property." I say angrily. He paces beside the table and I stay seated.

"But you are mine. She shouldn't be with you. It's not right." He says, stopping to look at me.

"What's not right? That I'm gay?" I ask him bitterly. His eyes narrow and I sit very still.

"You are not gay."

"You can't tell me what I am. I know that I'm gay and there is no way to change that. My mother must have realized it when I was a child and tried to instill in my mind that I liked men but I don't." I tell him calmly. Robin stalks over to me and lifts me up by my elbows. I whine in protest but he doesn't stop. He presses his fingers harder into my arms and I try to get out of his grip. He only lifts me higher and moves to push me against the wall.

"Robin, put me down! You're hurting me!" I whimper, my voice breaking in a moment of weakness.

"You are not gay. You're just saying that to hurt me." Robin growls. He pulls me away from the wall and then bangs me against it. I hit my head, unable to stop it from hitting the wall roughly. Tears jump into my eyes at the pain and I will them to go away. _You can't cry in front of him._

"No, I'm not Robin. You don't understand. Why can't you just let me go?" I whisper.

"Because I love you Regina." He states, his grip tightening on my arms.

"But I love her." I tell him and he drops me to the ground. I end up laying on the floor, the sudden drop catching me unprepared.

"I know you don't mean that." He says. I go to get up, already shaking my head but he just pushes me back down.

"Robin, just stop!" I yell and he looks at me with laser focus.

"You don't get to tell me what to do! I love you Regina and you're just trying to hurt me!" He yells back, slapping me across the face. I gasp sharply in pain, my head snapping to the side.

"Leave! Now! We're done!" I scream, not looking at him as I let the tears fall. I hear his footsteps move to the door and the thud as the door closes again. I'm left alone and that's when I full begin to cry.

After a few minutes I pull myself off the floor and look into the mirror, finding a large red mark on my cheek. I wipe away my tears and pull off my blazer before rolling up my sleeves. I see marks already forming where he grabbed me.

"Fucking bastard." I say to myself and turn around and go back to my desk. I pick up my phone and dial the number to the station.

"This is the sheriff's station, how can we help you?" Graham's voice comes through the phone.

"Hi, this is Regina Mills. I was just assaulted."

* * *

 **I know it's been a while and I'm sorry. I'm busy and I've been having lots of medical problems. please leave any reviews :)**


	27. Chapter 27

_Regina's P.O.V_

 _"This is the sheriff's station, how can we help you?" Graham's voice comes through the phone._

 _"Hi, this is Regina Mills. I was just assaulted."_

* * *

Emma's P.O.V

I watch Graham as he talks on the phone in his office, his face pulled into a deep frown. After a few minutes he puts the phone down and comes out of his office.

"It's Regina." He says and my heart drops.

"What happened?" I ask, getting to my feet right away.

"She said Robin assaulted her. You go to her office, talk to her, ask questions. I'm going to look for Robin." Graham informs me and I nod quickly. He tosses me a pair of keys and I immediately go out to the vehicle and start driving. I'm lucky that the station is close to town hall and I get there soon. I'm almost out of the vehicle before it's even off and I run inside. Tink is sitting at her desk and looks alarmed when I come clomping up the steps.

"Emma are you- Wait she said no one is allowed in without permission!" She exclaims and I round on her.

"I don't care!" I almost scream. Tink's eyes go wide and I run in there, my adrenaline spiked.

"What did that asshole do to you?" I ask loudly, my eyes searching for Regina. I spot her laying on the couch, her heels laying on the ground and her blazer thrown over a chair beside the table. This damn office must be her second home.

"Emma, I'm okay." Her voice says quietly and I move to sit on the ground beside her.

"He hurt you." I whisper and she looks over at me, her eyes glassy. The red mark on her cheek makes anger bubble inside me.

"But at least it's over. There is nothing left between me and that hateful man." She tells me with a sad smile.

"Are you sure you don't want to see a doctor?" I ask her and she chuckles.

"Emma, I'm serious. I'm fine." She says and I sigh. "Emma."

I look up at her with a frown. "What?"

"He slapped me and he shoved me against the wall and he grabbed my arms with malice but there is nothing I need more than you." Regina informs me and I tear up a bit.

"Okay." I give her a watery smile and she reaches out to touch my cheek.

"Now kiss me, you idiot." She smirks and I do as the lady asks.

* * *

A few hours later Graham finds the two of us cuddled up on her couch sharing childhood stories.

"We got Robin and he's in custody. Regina, are you okay?" He asks and she nods.

"Yeah. I just want him locked up." She states.

"Emma, did you get the facts and statements from Miss Mills?" Graham asks and I nod.

"Here." I say simply, tossing my notebook at him. He rolls his eyes and looks through what I've put down.

"Well thank you. Regina, I hope you feel better." Graham says and then leaves.

"Let's stay in tonight, have a romantic dinner plus the kid and then I can make you forget you ever were with that awful man." I propose to Regina and she nods, squeezing my hand.

"I love you." She says quietly.

"I love you too." I tell her and kiss her head.

* * *

Five months later

"Okay Henry are you ready to help me?" I ask my boy, who now proudly tells anyone he meets that he's six years old.

"Yes I am!" He exclaims, running around the apple tree in Regina's backyard that she loves so much. I've been planning this for weeks and now it is finally the day. The sun is shining but it's not too warm and the plants are all green and colourful. It's the perfect day for proposing to the woman I love.

"When she comes home what do you need to do?" I ask him.

"I tell her that I need her in the backyard right away because you hurt yourself and need her help." Henry informs me and I smile.

"Good boy." I ruffle his hair and that's when I hear the sound of a vehicle.

"She's here." I say excitedly and Henry runs inside with big eyes. I quickly go and lay down beside the ladder I put beside the tree and put my leg at an awkward angle. I hope I can fool her. I lay still for a few minutes when I hear Henry yelling from inside the house. I take a deep breath and get ready for my little charade.

I see the door open out of the corner of my eye and then I hear Henry urge, "Hurry Gina!"

I start groaning and mumble to myself, clutching my leg. I hear Regina gasp and I look up at her as she runs over.

"Emma! Oh Emma, are you okay?" She cries, falling down beside me. I grimace in fake pain and grab her arm tightly. Her eyes are wide as she looks at my leg.

"I don't know. It might be broken." I tell her, getting up onto my elbows. She stands up quickly.

"I'll go call for an ambulance." Regina says and I put an arm up.

"No! No. I don't need to go to the hospital." I say quickly. She looks at me with a confused face and I can hear my blood rushing through my veins.

"The only thing that will be broken is my heart if you don't say... Yes." I say, getting up swiftly onto one knee and pulling the ring box out from under a pile of leaves.

"Emma, is this...?" She trails off, staring at the ring incredulously.

"A proposal? Yes. Regina, I love you so much and I can't imagine a life without you constantly by my side. I know it's early in our relationship and we're both young but I don't want to waste any time." I tell her. My hands are slightly shaky and I shift on the grass. Regina looks taken aback and I'm nervous about what she will say. She's told me she loves me but who knows if that's enough to say yes.

"I understand if you aren't ready-" I begin to say but I'm cut off with a kiss. I hold the box in one hand and reach up to cup her face with the other.

"Of course I'm ready, you idiot. I want to spend the rest of our lives together. I love you." Regina gushes with a smile. She pulls me up and kisses me again but we're both smiling too much for the kiss to be good. When we pull apart I slide the ring onto her finger and she beams as she looks at it. I admire her full lips and the way her eyes shine with unshed tears. I look down then at the little boy who sits under the apple tree, watching us with keen eyes.

"So does this mean Gina is my mom now too?" Henry smiles and I glance at Regina. She looks slightly surprised at his question.

"If you don't want him too call you that I can let him down easy." I whisper to her.

"No!" She whispers to me and I look at her. "I mean, of course you can call me mom Henry. I would love it if you do." She says to him. He smiles wide and rushes over to tackle her with a bear hug. Regina bends over to hug him back and I watch the two of them. My perfect family. Once he lets go of her, he runs over to the swing set she got installed and she turns back to me. She hugs me tightly and then lets go and looks at her ring fondly.

"It's beautiful Emma. Thank you."

"You're beautiful. And you're welcome." I say and she blushes.

"Can we have a party?" She asks excitedly and I laugh.

"Of course we can. Don't forget, it's your house." I tell her.

"Okay Emma. Almost all of your clothes and belongings are here and now we're engaged. So this is somewhat a rhetorical question but will you move in with me?" Regina asks and I nod quickly.

"Damn right I will. I'll go cancel my apartment and get the rest of my stuff from it. I think it's just a handful of Henry's toys and some boxes." I tell her.

"That sounds like a great idea dear." She says and we sit down against the apple tree.

"I have an idea." Regina proposes a few minutes later.

"Yeah?" I ask sleepily. The sun has barely started setting but I admire the view as I lay my head down in her lap. I hold back a laugh at her sitting the grass wearing her business clothes and heels. She begins to run her fingers through my hair and I hum happily.

"We should paint that spare bedroom Henry has chosen to be his." She says and I open my eyes to look to up at her.

"You think so?" I ask and she smiles.

"Of course. I'm guessing he'll want blue and red walls." She says.

"You know him well." I comment.

"Yeah. I was thinking about three navy blue walls and one bright red. Then on the red wall we can do an outline of a knight or a dragon or something since he loves fairy tales so much." Regina rambles slightly and I watch her lips move.

"That sounds absolutely perfect. We can work it out after asking Henry himself." I mumble happily and she leans down to kiss me.

"Okay dear." She says and I close my eyes. A while later I open my eyes to find Regina speaking softly on phone. It's probably only been about twenty minutes but I'm sure my big head has made her legs fall asleep.

"I've called everyone over and made sure to call in some last minute favours to the catering company for tonight. Do you want to make the alcohol run?" Regina asks me with a warm smile. I give her a lazy smile and sit up before turning to look at her.

"Yeah sure. How are your legs?" I laugh as I watch her try to get up. She shushes me with a slap to my arm.

"You're large head is damn heavy Miss Swan." Regina glares at me before offering a hand. I take it and she helps me up. I look over at the swing set but find Henry nowhere to be found.

"Where's the kid?" I ask and she gestures to me to follow her inside.

"He asked me if he could watch cartoons before supper and I said yes." She tells me and we walk in to find him asleep in front of the T.V.

"Like mother, like son." Regina smirks and I hit her this time. She laughs loudly and I admire the adorable sound.

"Let him sleep. It's a Friday so he'll push to stay up late and I don't want a cranky child." I tell her and she laughs again.

"Okay he'll get to sleep. Now go do an alcohol run. I invited at least fifteen people, maybe a bit more. Ruby is also bringing Isabella." Regina informs me.

"Is there anything else you want me to get?"

"Chips. Also, soda for Henry." She says and I nod.

"Okay! Be back soon. I love you." I tell her and she kisses me softly.

"I love you too." Regina smiles.

* * *

 **I know it's been a while (like usual). I suck at updating regularly but my life is hectic. but anyways, here you are! this is the second last chapter as well, just so you all know!**


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